Does He Ever Get The Girl?
by Captivate Me
Summary: Completed Mandy McCarthy and Adam Copeland find that life doesn't always turn out as expected and that even fairytales can sometimes go astray! (Sequel to "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows)
1. This Ruined Puzzle

A story, itself, never ends. Sure, a certain anecdote may end. A segment of a story can be told complete with a conclusion, but it's never really over. The story of two people cannot end until the people end. There is always something left unsaid; always something left undone. Behind the scenes, there are hundreds of stories waiting to be told. All of which will never be known to other than those who live the script. The players, young and in love, leave much to the imagination. Their story presses on. Never knowing when the plot will twist, never knowing when their story will end. But for them, the risk is worth taking. For Mandy McCarthy and Adam Copeland, the story continues.   
  
-  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I walked out of the shower wrapped only in a small piece of thin cloth hardly worth being called a towel. My newly colored hair was dripping wet and the drops ran down my skin leaving their wet trail behind on my skin. I entered my locker room, which was completely empty at the time, or so I though. I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me. I could feel it; feel their eyes on me. My muscles tensed up as I ran my fingers through my hair. Ah, my signature move when I'm nervous.  
  
"Hello?" I called into the darkness. There was no answer. I shrugged and walked over to my vanity and looked at myself in the mirror. Black, why did they have to pick black? Ebony locks flowed down my shoulders and I studied my reflection still not sure whether or not I liked my new hair color. Suddenly I froze as I stared into a pair of blue eyes gazing at me in the mirror's reflection. His blonde hair was freely cascading as he pulled some behind his ears. I turned around quickly and made sure I was covered properly by the towel. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I had to see you," he stated as he walked toward me with a smirk planted on his face, "There's something different about you, Amanda. Mandy, if you prefer. Ya see, there's a void in my life, perhaps you can help satisfy me." He placed his hands on my waist and backed me into the wall. I looked up into his blue eyes as he ran his right hand up my bare thigh.   
  
"What exactly are you suggesting?" I asked playfully as he leaned closer to me.  
  
"I want to give you your daily dose of vitamin C!" Chris Jericho whispered as his lips lightly grazed mine.  
  
"CUT! That was great guys. We're done for today," yelled the director as Chris and I both came out of character. I wiped off my mouth and dropped the towel revealing a beige tube top and a pair of shorts. Chris quickly made his way somewhere far away from me and I began walking back to my real dressing room for the evening when I was approached by Vince McMahon.   
  
"That was great, Mandy. You and Chris have such chemistry on the camera," he announced as I smiled sarcastically. Chris Irvine and I were filled with such an immense amount of hate for each other and yet Vince still insisted upon having us work in a story line romance with each other. Since coming to Raw, I had been faced with nothing but trouble. Well, maybe that's not exactly true. Coming to Raw did bring one good thing, Jay Reso. After I left, Adam made sure to hook me up with some friendly people on Raw. I found it to be a very un-welcoming atmosphere except for the friendship that Jay had offered me. I guess the fact that I had exploded with popularity from fans since making my Raw debut didn't please too many of the other established superstars on the show.   
  
Of course, being my stubborn self, I refused to admit that leaving Smackdown for Raw might have been a huge mistake. Not career wise of course. I had never been more popular with the fans and my merchandise was some of the top selling products on WWE.com. However, my life was a wreck behind the scenes. Adam and I had to keep in touch by playing phone tag. I hadn't seen my sister, Torrie or any of my other friends since I had left and Danny called me crying a few times asking me to come back. Don't get me wrong, I hadn't been gone all that long. It had been three months since my move to Raw, three long months of pure loneliness. I missed Adam and Danny, but most of all, I missed my life. 


	2. So The Placing Goes Slowly

Chapter 2  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as Jay sat on my couch reading me some story that he had been writing.  
  
"What do you think so far?" he asked. I shook my head and smiled as I sat down next to him on the couch and placed my hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Its great! I can't wait to hear more," I insisted. He put on a content smile and I knew he was proud of his work. In all actuality, it wasn't a bad story. It was a romantic anecdote about a troubled man who's life changes as a mysterious woman enters his world turning it upside down. To me, it seemed to strangely parallel the story of Adam and I. The story was unfinished, but was coming along nicely.   
  
"Have you heard from Adam at all lately?" Jay questioned. I frowned and turned away from him as I threw some of my things into my gym bag.  
  
"No, I haven't talked to him since last month," I pretty much knew that Adam was avoiding me. It didn't surprise me. Our phone conversations were very emotional and it was a hard thing for both of us. Eventually, he just stopped calling. Jason's smile faded.  
  
"I'm sure he'll call soon. He's just been so busy lately. He's gonna be getting the title next week," he announced. I looked at him questioningly.   
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"He told me," Jay replied. I turned to him but he looked away. That's nice, so Adam calls Jay but not me. "I'm sorry."  
  
"You shouldn't be. You didn't do anything," I stated picking up my bag and heading for the door.  
  
"Why don't you give him a call?" Jay stopped me. I shook my head and leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"I've tried. Either he doesn't answer, or he makes an excuse not to talk. I don't know what to think anymore," I answered. Jay got up and walked over to me pulling me into a hug.   
  
"Listen to me, Adam is like my brother, and I have never heard him talk about anyone like he talks about you. I know he loves you, I wouldn't worry about that," he comforted. Just then, Chris walked up to us from the hallway.   
  
"Excuse me, am I interrupting an intimate moment here?" he asked with a smirk. I scowled at him and finished my hug before giving him the middle finger. "Hey Morticia Addams, don't you already have a boy toy? I'm sure Adam would love to hear about this little fiasco."  
  
"Fuck you Jerky. Jay, have fun with Uncle Fester over there. Try not to pass out from inhaling his body odor for too long. I've got the cell on incase you need me to rush you to the emergency room," I announced as I started walking down the hall. By this time, Jay was laughing so hard by our exchange of words that he could hardly breathe and Jericho was hotter than ever.   
  
"That's not very lady like, Mandy," Chris called at me from down the hall. I turned around and smiled sympathetically at him.  
  
"I feel sorry for you it that's the best comeback you can throw at me. Sorry, Jerky, you might be losing your touch there," I yelled back before turning the corner leaving Jay rolling on the floor laughing and Chris standing angrily in the doorway. 


	3. Laced With Perfect Smiles And Shining Ey...

Chapter 3  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
On Raw, I was playing the role of Chris Jericho's valet. It was a pretty good gimmick considering he was going to get the World Heavyweight Championship and I was going to get the Women's Championship a week after. The writers wanted to make us look like a WWE power couple much like the old HHH/Stephanie McMahon story line. Even I had to admit that it was a brilliant move. There were just so many possibilities that could follow. The only remotely bad part about it was the fact that I had to work and make appearances with Chris. His mood seemed to change from day to day. I never knew whether to expect him to insult me the whole time, for him to be unresponsive and aloof, or to actually put his ego aside and start a conversation with me, which so far had been never.   
  
The week after my confrontation with Chris, I was scheduled to fight Victoria for a number one contender match for the Women's Championship. When I walked down the ram toward the ring, Jericho accompanied me. He was pep talking me the whole time as I tried to remain focused on performing all of the moves that Victoria and I had discussed backstage just moments prior. The match was long and very physical.   
  
It began with Victoria taking control. She threw me into the ropes and worked the psycho angle by trying to strangle me in the ropes. I kicked her hard causing me to gain power momentarily, but Victoria quickly turned the tables again by suplexing me hard into the mat. She looked over at Jericho who was standing in my corner cheering me on and decided to mock him by putting me in the Walls of Jericho. I cried out in pain in front of the cameras and all of the fans in the arena even though it isn't really all that painful of a move. I could hear Chris banging his hands on the mat trying to show his support. The entire arena started chanting my name as I started pulling my way over to the ropes. I finally made it and she was forced to release me. She picked me up on to her shoulders for a power bomb but I reversed it into a canrana. Once she was on the ground, I got up on the top rope and proceeded a frog splash but she rolled out from under me and I smacked into the mat. Victoria got out of the ring and grabbed a steal chair but Jericho charged at her in my defense. Before he had a chance to get to her, she connected the chair to his face. She dropped the chair next to Jericho and started screaming, "I don't need this. I don't need this to beat that BITCH!" she got back into the ring where I was still selling my collision with the mat. Chris started to get up and he staggered back over to the side of the ring just in time to see Victoria put me in the Walls of Jericho again. Again I started selling the move by screaming out as if in tremendous pain. I raised my hand as if I was going to tap out, but instead I looped my arms around her legs and pulled her down to the mat just in front of my head. Her back hit the mat with a thud and I rolled her up getting an enormous reaction from the crowd. Victoria was stuck, she couldn't kick out and I got the three count. I stood up and Chris jumped into the ring pulling me into a hug.   
  
While we were in mid embrace, the camera's cut to footage of Trish, the reigning Women's Champion, watching my match with a scowl. Once we got backstage, I was greeted by Trish who congratulated me on the fantastic match. Trish was a friend of Torrie's and she was one of the few people other than Jay who had befriended me since coming to Raw. Once out of the sight of camera's, Chris turned back into his usual asshole self.   
  
"So, next week its gonna be Trish vs. Tish. How appropriate!" He commented. Trish looked at me confused.  
  
"What is he talking about?" she asked raising an eyebrow. I shook my head.  
  
"It's my hair. Now that it is black he seems to think I resemble Morticia Addams. It just goes to shoe you how much of a jackass he really is," I explained. Trish smiled sympathetically at me.   
  
"Aw, I'm sorry sweetie. What do you say we go get changed and then head back to the hotel?" she announced. I shook my head and we walked away from Chris who, by that time, had moved on to talking to Jay about his upcoming title match. 


	4. You Know I'll Be Fine On My Own

Chapter 4  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
After a few house shows that week, I found myself relaxing on my bed in a hotel room somewhere in San Antonio. Hours earlier, I had wrestled in a match against Trish in which I won by disqualification after she brought a chair into the ring. It was the first time all day I had been able to have a minute to myself and, of course, the ringing of my cell phone interrupted me. This was it, I thought, Adam is finally calling.  
  
"Hello?" I stated hopeful that it was him.  
  
"Mandy, how are you?" replied the voice on the other end.  
  
"Oh, hey Torrie, what's up?" I asked disappointed.   
  
"Well, don't sound too happy to hear from me. I'm kidding of course. I saw your match on Monday. You are doing so great! Everyone here is so proud of you," she explained putting a smile on your face.   
  
"Thanks Torrie. It means a lot that you called. I haven't talked to anyone since the last time Adam called and that was last month," I explained still sprawled out on the bed.  
  
"Yeah, I was just talking to him actually. He said that he tried calling you on Tuesday but your phone was busy."  
  
"That's strange," I announced thinking about what I could have been doing, "Oh, I was talking to Jerk...I mean Jericho. We were trying to work some things out about his Championship match coming up soon."   
  
"Oh, so you've been hanging with Chris. That's cool. What's Trish up to?"  
  
"Not much. I'm getting the title from her in two weeks and we have a long standing feud from there."  
  
"That's great! Yeah, Adam's getting the title next week!"   
  
"Wonderful, tell him to call me, okay? I miss him so much," I explained. It hurt that we hadn't spoken in so long. After all, he was my boyfriend. "Where is Missy? I want to say hi to her."  
  
"Oh, about that, she still won't talk to you," Torrie replied. I rolled my eyes and sighed.  
  
"Torrie, will you please tell her that I had nothing to do with the internet rumor going around that says she is a lesbian? I mean, really, why would she think I would do that to her?" I asked.  
  
"I don't know, she has issues. But I'll tell her...and I'll talk to Adam for you. I gotta go hun, I'll call you sometime soon!" Torrie answered and hung up the phone. I sat there for a while with my cell phone in my hand, contemplating whether or not to call Adam. Finally I just decided to do it.  
  
"Hello?" he answered sounding tired and worn out.  
  
"Hey Adam. What's up?" I asked happy to hear the sound of his voice.  
  
"Mandy, its so good to talk to you...." Then silence.  
  
"Adam what's wrong?" I asked when he didn't continue. I had a bad feeling.   
  
"Nothing. Hey can I call you back? I'm really busy right now," he announced.   
  
"Sure Adam, that's what you said last month," I stated and hung up the phone, knowing full well that I wouldn't be hearing from him anytime soon. 


	5. You're Barely Scraping By

Chapter 5  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
Adam didn't call me that night, the next day, or anytime that week for that matter. Not that I was surprised. That next Monday, we were in San Diego for Raw. It was the night when Chris was supposed to win the World Championship from Randy Orton. I accompanied him to the ring and he gave me a very sensual hug before Randy's music hit and I took my place on the apron. Once the match started, I felt very distracted. I couldn't help but wonder why Adam kept avoiding me. It really hurt and I was very upset about how he just blew me off AGAIN on the phone. Chris could definitely tell that my mind wasn't on his match because when Randy threw him out of the ring and I rushed to his side he whispered a few obscene words into my ear and mumbled something about not missing my spot.   
  
Despite having a very small part in Jericho's match, he is a perfectionist and wanted to make sure that I was fully concentrated on making him look good. I didn't pay much attention to what Chris and Randy were doing in the ring. I was simply waiting for my moment to intervene which wasn't until closer to the end. Finally it came time to act. Chris was down and Randy was on he top rope. I grabbed his leg causing him to fall. That was the cue for Paul or HHH who was waiting backstage for his chance to interfere. He ran down to the ring in Randy's defense. I jumped in front of him to distract him from Chris, but he grabbed me by my hair and threw me into the steal stairs. From there, I was done for the rest of the match. The only thing I had to do was lie quietly on the ground while Chris finished the match. It was a great ending. Paul ended up accidentally taking out Randy with a steal chair and Chris suplexed HHH taking him out long enough to get the three count on Randy. Like that, Chris was the new Heavyweight Champion. He climbed out of the ring with his belt and came to my side. He helped me up and I was selling my blow by holding my head and acting like I was having trouble walking. He hugged me and kissed me while crying, "We did it! We did it!" as we made our way up the ramp.   
  
Backstage was a different story, "What was going on out there, Mandy? Huh? You could have cost me that match do you know that? You need to keep your head in the game here. This isn't Smackdown, you're playing with the big boys now!" Chris yelled in my direction. Paul walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder.  
  
"Is there a problem here?" he asked staring down Chris who was on a rampage.  
  
"Yeah there's a fucking problem. She's out there during MY match more worried about her pretty boy boyfriend than her job. It's not my fault if he hasn't called. She doesn't need to bring us all down! This isn't fucking high school," I was getting really pissed now, I had been insulted.   
  
"Chris, are you insane? She did a fine job out there tonight. It's not like she was wrestling. All she had to do was stand in your corner and support your sorry ass and she did that so do us all a favor and fuck off!" it really surprised me that Paul was standing up for me the way he was. I didn't even know him very well and I knew that he was friends with Chris backstage. It didn't really make sense that he would defend me like that.  
  
"Maybe if you would think with your brain and not with your dick you could see that she was only half ass tonight. Although, I guess you can say more about her ass than I can considering you stare at it enough," Jericho shot back. Paul just stood there, eyeing Chris as if he were a cat about to pounce. I couldn't stand it any longer. I didn't care about Chris and his fucking title and I didn't care if Paul had a crush on me. I just wanted to get away from both of them.  
  
"Ya know what, fuck this, I'm leaving. I don't give two shits about you or your stupid match. If anyone ruined it, it was probably you and your weak moonsaults, not me and my support scheme. Since when do you think you are fucking Jeff Hardy anyway? Why don't you go suck a big one and leave me alone?" I screamed as I pushed Paul's arm off of me and stormed off in search of Trish or Jay. 


	6. These Hearts, They Race

Chapter 6  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
After my fight with Jericho, I did what I always do when I'm mad. I refused to speak to him. Actually, things were pretty awkward backstage in the days leading up to my title match. Chris was still pissed, Paul was too embarrassed to look me in the eye, Jay was acting all distant and shit, and Trish wouldn't talk to me at all. On Monday night, I psyched my self up for my match and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Jerky insisted that he wouldn't move a finger to help me during my match, but I knew he was only bluffing. He was an egotistical bastard, but he wasn't that heartless.   
  
Trish entered the ring first, proudly displaying the belt around her waist. I waited calmly backstage trying to calm my nerves by taking deep breaths. I wasn't even aware that my entrance music had started playing until Chris snapped me out of my daze.   
  
As soon as the match started, I took control, dragging Trish around by her hair. We went on battling back and forth for a long time, until I eventually clotheslined Trish right out of the ring. She picked up a chair and started back to the ring when Jericho started beating her over the head with the Women's Championship belt. He kept screaming, "You don't deserve this you BITCH. This doesn't belong to you anymore!" I got out of the ring and shot Jerky an evil look letting him know that I didn't want his help. I grabbed Trish by her hair again and threw her back into the ring. She tried standing up, but I connected a boot to the face. While she was lying on her stomach in the ring, I proceeded to put her in the Walls of Jericho and she began screaming like crazy to sell the move. Chris's whole mood seem to change when I held Trish in his signature move. He began smiling at me, strangely enough. He started pounding his hands on the mat and he began chanting my name. Soon the rest of the arena followed his lead and all I heard was my name echoing around the arena over and over. It was a surreal moment in my life. I guess Trish didn't take any notes when she was watching my match against Victoria, because she tapped out leaving me the new women's champion!   
  
Chris jumped in the ring and held up my hand in victory. I was presented with the Championship belt and we both stood there in the middle of the ring, holding our belts high above our heads just basking in the glory. Finally, he pulled me into a hug, which was followed by a very overly passionate kiss, which just sent the crowd into a frenzy. They just went crazy.   
  
When we got backstage, Chris actually pulled me into a hug and congratulated me on what is now known as one of the best female matches of all time. I grabbed a towel and headed back to my dressing room, disappointed that Jay was nowhere to be found. I changed out of my wrestling gear and started packing up my things when my cell rang.  
  
"Mandy," cried Jay from the other end, "YOU WERE SO AMAZING!"  
  
"Thank you so much. Where are you?" I asked.  
  
"Around. Hey, I have a little present for you in honor of winning the belt. Open your locker room door," he stated. I did as I was told. I stepped into the hall only to find nothing.  
  
"What exactly is this surprise?" I asked looking around.   
  
"Turn to your right and start walking."  
  
I did as I was told. As I was walking, I continued to see nothing but an empty hallway.  
  
"Jay, I'm not seeing anything!"  
  
"Oh my mistake, you are facing the wrong way. Turn around," he said. As I turned to go back in the other direction, I was met face to face with Adam. I stood there momentarily gazing into his heavenly blue eyes. He smiled at me and brushed his hand over my cheek before pulling me into a wildly romantic kiss. 


	7. I Said An Extra Wish For You

Chapter 7  
  
Adam's POV  
  
After we pulled away from the kiss, she jumped into my arms and I gladly wrapped them around her. I closed my eyes and let myself be completely consumed by her embrace. It felt so good to have her in my arms again and I just wanted time to stand still and for us to stay locked together like this forever!  
  
"What are you doing here?" she whispered in my ear. I pulled away and looked her in the eye.  
  
"Do you really think I would miss your big moment?" I asked. She smiled and then kissed me again. Jay walked up behind me and smacked my back.  
  
"Adam, I see you just couldn't keep away from me. You really need to get over the fact that I'm not in love with you!" Jay teased. Mandy shoved him away from us.  
  
"You bastard! You knew he was coming the whole time and you didn't tell me!" she yelled. Jay put his hands up in defense.  
  
"Hey now, calm down woman! You should be hitting him! He made me promise not to tell you. It had to be a surprise," Jay stated.  
  
"Honestly, I can't believe he kept it this long. Jay has a rather hard time keeping secrets," I explained.  
  
"Actually, I kinda let it slip," Jay announced, "I accidentally told Trish. I know, I'm sorry, but it just slipped."  
  
"Well that explains why Trish hasn't said two words to me all week. She has trouble keeping secrets as well," Mandy stated as I wrapped my arms around her again.   
  
"Well we might as well go back to the locker room instead of just standing in the middle of the hallway!" Jay insisted as he made his way down the hall.   
  
"I'm sorry I've been so distant lately, but I really wanted this to be a surprise and I just knew that I would let it slip the more I talked to you. Can you ever forgive me?" I pouted as Mandy took my hand.  
  
"I don't know, maybe if you're lucky," She teased as I frowned dramatically, "Of course I will forgive you. Now kiss me before I change my mind!"  
  
When we got back to Mandy's locker room, Trish was waiting for us.  
  
"Mandy, you don't hate me do you? Jay let it slip and I just knew I would go and ruin everything," she nervously explained.   
  
"Trish, don't worry about it. I'm just happy that everything is okay. I was starting to think that everyone was mad at me," Mandy replied. I kissed her neck in response.  
  
"Could that ever happen?" I asked stroking her hair. Just being around her made everything feel so right again. Ever since she had left, it was as if a part of me had gone with her. Just being near her brought back everything that had since been missing in my life.  
  
"Let's hope not. So where is Danny?" Mandy asked turning to look me in the eye.  
  
"Well, I guess that would be the other half of the surprise..." I replied.   
  
A/N- Thanks so much to all of my reviewers! I'm glad to know that people are still interested in the story! 


	8. Pulling Me Close To Home

Chapter 8  
  
Adam's POV  
  
"What do you mean? What's the other part of the surprise?" asked Mandy as she searched my face with her eyes for the answer.  
  
"I'm spending the night with you tonight and tomorrow we are going to drive to Vegas together. I'm getting the Championship tomorrow and I want you to be there, backstage," I explained. She smiled and kissed me gently on the lips.  
  
"I really miss you," She whispered. I held her tightly.  
  
"I know, I miss you too!"  
  
"I can't wait to see everyone again!" she stated suddenly excited. Raw was being held in Sandy, Utah and Smackdown was being taped the next day in Las Vegas, Nevada so it was within driving distance. After Mandy and Trish got changed, we all went back to the hotel for the rest of the evening.   
  
Back at the hotel a bunch of us filed into Trish's hotel room. Mandy collapsed on the couch and I sat next to her. She shifted and rested her head on my lap. I knew that she was completely exhausted so I ran my fingers through her hair and tried to make her as comfortable as possible.   
  
"Hey Tish, move your ass! Other people want to sit on the couch too," Chris teased as Mandy moved her legs enough to let Chris sit at the end of the couch. Once he was settled, she rested her feet on his legs so that she was still taking over the entire couch. I smiled at the sight of her in her navy blue cotton shorts and an Edge Army tee.   
  
"So Chris, I trust that you are watching out for my lady since I can't be here," I stated to one of my best friends. I had been watching Mandy and Chris on TV every week and it was really interesting to see how each of their characters had developed, and they had on screen chemistry that was unbelievable.   
  
"Oh yeah man, Tish and I get along...famously! We take care of each other!" Chris assured me. Mandy laughed a little bit and kicked him in the arm.  
  
"Is something wrong?" I asked her wondering what was going on. She looked up at me and smiled.  
  
"Oh no, we just have a very interesting relationship," She replied.  
  
"Yeah, we mess with each other a lot. She's a very...fun loving person!" Chris insisted. I smiled again. It was great that Mandy got along so well with my friends over at Raw. They were very different from the people I used to hang out with at Smackdown. They were a better crowd. They weren't into drugs or alcohol, but they certainly were an acquired taste.   
  
"I'm glad you guys like each other so much! I must admit, I was a little worried about you guys not getting along. I know you're not the easiest person to develop a friendship with, Chris," I teased. Mandy started laughing again. Trish and Jay just kinda looked at each other like they were in shock.  
  
"Oh please, Mandy and I...just...adore each other. Don't we Tish?" Chris asked. I looked down at Mandy and waited for her to answer, still wondering why it seemed that the whole conversation was a joke.  
  
"Oh yeah Jerky, I love you to death!" 


	9. We're Doing Fine, We're Doing Nothing At...

Chapter 9  
  
Adam's POV  
  
We talked for about an hour about what was going on with everyone's lives. At one point I noticed that Mandy hadn't said anything for a long time so I looked down only to find her asleep. "Well, I guess its about time to retire for the night," I stated as I shook Mandy a little to wake her up, "It was great to see everyone again!" I took Mandy's hand and I let her lead me to her room, which was only a few rooms down from where Trish was staying.  
  
"I'm so tired!" Mandy yawned. I wrapped my arms around her and we just stood there for a few minute just enjoying being together. She pulled away and crawled into bed with me turning off the lights and sliding in next to her. She rested her head on my chest and I kissed her forehead.   
  
"So what's up with the hair?" I asked as I played with some of her long black locks.  
  
"Vince seems to think it will 'contrast' with Chris's blonde hair. Like anybody really cares if our appearance contrasts or not. I don't know, I'm supposed to be this mysterious dark figure now," She explained.   
  
"Well, I like it. Its definitely different, that's for sure," I insisted after getting the hint that she didn't like it very much.   
  
"That's interesting considering all Chris does is make fun of it...I mean, he likes to tease me about it. I don't know why though because I think its kinda cool," She explained.  
  
"I'm glad that you and Chris get along so well. He's one of my best friends!"   
  
"I know, it's been...fun...working with Chris. The story line is great and he's really...sweet," Mandy announced, but I didn't want to talk anymore. I shifted so that I was face to face with her and I kissed her gently. I placed my hand on her thigh and ran it slowly up to her hip and finally, her waist. Reaching a little lower, I slipped my thumb under the elastic band of her shorts to pull them off before she pushed me away.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked stopping for an answer.  
  
"Baby, I'm so tired right now," she explained. I sighed and rolled onto my back staring up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry baby. I want to, I really do, but right now I just feel like I couldn't keep my eyes open for another minute." I turned back to her and ran my fingers down her cheek.  
  
"It's fine. I understand, it's been a really big day for you."   
  
As I lied next to her in the darkness, I listened to her steady breathing as she drifted off into a deep sleep. Watching her sleep, I had time to think about everything we had been through together. There had been times when I had been such a jerk to her, and yet here she was, lying next to me. There had been times when she should have just left, walked away and never looked back. But here she was, still loving me after everything I had done. In truth, I felt that I didn't deserve her. How was it that after all of the messed up shit I had done, I still had someone there to love me? I knew how lucky I had to be to have someone who would stand by me like that. I guess that after my wife walked out, I just gave up on love. I figured that there was no way I was going to change, and no one would ever accept my lifestyle. Boy, was I wrong. It was beyond my comprehension how someone like Mandy even looked twice at me. I knew then, that I would love her forever, despite anything that could ever happen. She had changed my life too much for me to ever stop loving her. She put me on the right path and helped me realize that I wasn't the only person that my behavior was hurting. I had a daughter to think about. My god, Danny loved Mandy. I think she realized that it was Mandy who gave her daddy back to her. We both loved Mandy because she turned our world upside down, and lying next to her, I only wanted to hold on to her forever. 


	10. Its Filling Me With All You Mean To Me

Chapter 10  
  
Adam's POV  
  
There we were, walking down the hallways backstage at a taping of Smackdown. We had driven all the way from Sandy to Las Vegas in record time and Mandy was currently holding my hand and rushing to the locker rooms in anticipation of seeing everyone again. I opened the door for her and we were greeted by none other than Matt Hardy.  
  
"Mandy, I'm so happy to see you again!" Matt stated sincerely as he pulled her into a hug. She had a very confused look on her face from Matt's welcome. The last time she had talked to him, she didn't feel very liked.   
  
"Uh, hi Matt," she replied. I laughed at the awkwardness of the situation.   
  
"Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you. Mandy, Matt has gotten clean!" I explained as Mandy's face lit up.   
  
"Oh Matt, that is wonderful," She insisted.   
  
"Thank you, I really owe most of it to you. I saw what you did for Adam and it really touched me," he announced when Danny came running into the room.  
  
"MANDY YOU'RE HERE!" she cried as she jumped into her arms. Mandy scooped her up into a hug.  
  
"Yes, I'm here. Little Miss Danny, how have you been?" She asked placing Danny back on the floor. Danny grabbed her hand and led her over to the couch.   
  
"I missed you! Are you moving back with us?" She asked innocently as she looked up with her big blue eyes.   
  
"Oh honey, I'm not moving back to Smackdown. I still have a lot of work to do over at Raw. I'm just visiting," Mandy explained. Danny's smile faded you could practically see the sadness taking over her body. "But if your daddy says its okay, I'd love to have you come visit me at Raw sometime!" Danny's face lit up with excitement as she looked over at me.  
  
"Daddy, please can I visit Mandy? Puhleeeeeease!!!" she begged running over to me and clutching my leg. I looked down and smiled at her.  
  
"We'll see. I'll have to talk with Mandy and find out when things would work out first," I explained.   
  
"THANK YOU DADDY!" she cried as she hugged my leg.  
  
"So where is everybody? This place is dead," Mandy announced as she threw herself down on the couch.   
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot. Somebody wants to see you. I'm supposed to take you there," Danny remembered as she grabbed Mandy's hand and led her toward the door.   
  
"Isn't your daddy invited?" Mandy questioned as she allowed herself to be escorted out of the room.  
  
"Nope," Danny shook her head. "This is just for you and me!" I smiled and Mandy looked back at me with a fake pout.  
  
"Well go on, I'll be here waiting," I stated as both of my girls left me alone with Matt. 


	11. This Night Is Wild, So Calm And Dull

Chapter 11  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
Danny led me down the hallway to the last door on the left. She skipped along happily, obviously excited. She reached up and pounded on the door.   
  
"OPEN UP YOU OVERGROWN STUFFED ANIMAL!" she yelled. I was quite taken back. It was very out of character for her. A few seconds went by before the door swung open.   
  
"Like you should talk you little drama queen!" Brock yelled as he scooped her up into his arms and started tickling her. Danny laughed and begged him to stop. When he finally ceased, she threw her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug.   
  
"Danny, I thought you were afraid of him," I recalled as they both stood in the doorway staring at me. She laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Silly, Brock is just a big teddy bear...right Brocky?" she turned to face him. He smiled at her and nodded. "Well I brought her. Where is my cookie?" Brock put her down and pointed to a nearby table where a whole package of Oreo's was waiting.  
  
"Ya did good kid. Knock yourself out," he replied. He turned back to me and pulled me into a hug. "Hey Dee, how ya been?"   
  
"Oh you know, I'm pulling through. God it's so good to see you! Where's Missy?" I asked.  
  
"She's talking to Vince. She said she has some big scheme. If you ask me, I don't like the sound of that," he laughed. Just then Kurt entered.   
  
"Hey kiddo, what are you doing in my dressing room?" He asked picking Danny up and turning her upside-down. She stuck her tongue out at him and he pretended to drop her.   
  
"I brought her," She said pointing to me. Kurt looked over at me and flashed a brilliant smile. "Now put me down or I'm gonna have Brocky kick your butt!"   
  
"HA, he couldn't take me if he tried," Kurt laughed.   
  
"Brock, will you beat him up for me?" Danny huffed. Brock assured her that he would and Kurt finally put her down.   
  
"Mandy, what's up girl? It's been too long," Kurt stated as he engulfed me in his arms.   
  
"Hey babes," I replied as Missy burst through the door.   
  
"IT'S ALL WORKED OUT!" She yelled completely ignoring me.   
  
"What is?" Brock asked throwing his arms around her.  
  
"The main event tonight. Hope your up for it Mandy, cause it involves you," She announced.  
  
"Me? I'm not even on this show."  
  
"Consider it your last hurrah! You get to beat me up if that makes any difference," She explained. I folded my arms across my chest.  
  
"Okay, I'm listening."   
  
(A/N- OMG!!!!! I went to Unforgiven last night. Let's just say it was amazing! I brought two signs with me. One said "Christian Rocks My World" and the other said "Hey King, How About These Puppies?" with an arrow pointing to me. I don't think they showed either of them on TV though. Oh well...I'm pretty sure Christian saw my sign. Hope everybody is enjoying the story! More soon, I promise!) 


	12. My Heart Is Yours To Fill Or Burst

Chapter 12  
  
Adam's POV  
  
I didn't hear anything about the match until later that night. It was the night I was to win the Championship belt from Brock Lesnar. As it would turn out, Mandy was going to help me out. That night, Torrie accompanied me to the ring. We were still in a romantic story line and it was working out much better for us now that we were friends. After Mandy left for Raw, I couldn't just go back to hanging with my old group of friends. I didn't want to get caught up in that mess again. Mandy's friends kind of took me in and things had been going well for me ever since.   
  
Missy and Brock came down to the ring proudly displaying the belt. Torrie and Missy talked a little trash to each other and I kissed Torrie for good luck before Brock attacked me. With the match underway, things started getting interesting. Torrie had the worst luck I had ever seen. Torrie was going to attempt to F-5 Missy at one point during the match to mock Brock, but when she was trying to lift Missy over her head, one of the heals of her shoes snapped Missy came tumbling down which actually looked more like a reversal on the camera. Brock got me with a hellacious suplex and as he started climbing up on the top rope, Torrie grabbed his leg causing him to lose his balance and almost crush her. When I recovered, I stood up and prepared to spear Brock who was still staggering from almost killing Torrie. As I did, Missy jumped on my back and started clawing at my eyes. I figured I could throw her over my head so that she would take a pretty hard bump onto the mat, but when she flipped over, Torrie was right in front of us for some reason and Missy just took her out. While I was checking to see if she was okay, Brock grabbed my by my neck as if he was going to choke slam me and Missy started kicking the shit out of Torrie. That's when I heard the crowd go nuts. Bam, bam, bam...Mandy gets three chair shots on Brock's skull. He went down and Missy looked on in horror. Mandy just stood there and pointed at Missy as if to say, "You're next bitch." She threw the chair on the ground and taunted Missy, begging her to fight. Missy stood up to her and walked right up to her face, but Mandy had another trick up her sleeve. Well, a pair of brass knuckles did the trick and soon Missy was motionless in the middle of the ring. I just stood there as if I wasn't quite sure what was going on. Mandy jumped out of the ring and looked at me.  
  
"What are you waiting for? Pin him!" she yelled and I turned back to Brock who was just getting up. Before he knew what hit him, I perfected a spear and got the three count. Torrie jumped into the ring to celebrate my victory, but I was watching as Mandy stood just outside of the ring and shook her head with a smirk.   
  
"BREAK DOWN, AND CEASE ALL FEELING. BURN NOW, WHAT ONCE WAS BREATHING. REACH OUT AND YOU MAY TAKE MY HEART AWAY. I left it all behind and never said goodbye. I left it all behind and never said goodbye. I left it all behind and never said goodbye. I left it all to die." blared through the arena as Mandy's new music, The Leaving Song Part 2 by AFI, played. She started up the ramp. Once we were backstage, I threw my arms around her.  
  
"God, if this is the rate things are gonna be going, next time you have a title shot someone will kill me," Torrie complained as she took off her broken shoes. We all ignored her and I kissed Mandy's neck as we walked back to the locker rooms. Missy was going to take Danny for the night and it was the last night Mandy was going to be spending with me for a while, so needless to say, we didn't waste it!   
  
For the rest of the night, I held her close to me. I propped myself up with my elbow and I just looked at her for the longest time. I ran my fingers through her hair and down her cheek. "You are so beautiful," I told her. She smiled and I pulled her into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck and smoothed my hair back out of my face.   
  
"I love you so much," She whispered, breaking the kiss.  
  
"Not as much as I love you!" 


	13. Hey, Did You Get Some?

Chapter 13  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I had to leave early the next morning. It was a pretty emotional departure considering I hadn't seen most of my friends in three months and now I was leaving again after only a few hours. When I arrived at the arena for the house show, I made my way to my locker room only to find Jay sitting on my couch writing some more of his story. I crawled up next to him on the couch. He totally ignored my presence, so I decided to tease him a little bit. I started running my hands up and down his back but I got no reaction. I knew I had to resort to more drastic measures so I started nibbling on his ear lobe. His mouth smirked into a devilish smile as he continued typing on his laptop. I planted a few kisses on his cheek when suddenly he snapped the laptop closed and grabbed my face planting a sloppy wet kiss on my lips. He pulled away and laughed.  
  
"Did you get what you wanted? Huh? So what's up with you today anyway?" He laughed. I sat on his lap and threw my arms around his neck cuddling a little as he hugged me.  
  
"I love your best friend. Did you know that?" I stated resting my head on his shoulder.   
  
"Aww, and all this time I thought you had the hots for me," He teased as he kissed my forehead. "So I take it you guys had a good time."   
  
"Oh you have no idea. And by the way, that was probably the grossest kiss I've ever gotten. Thank you!" I stated as I wiped my wet chin with my sleeve.  
  
"You'll live. Besides, it was good for me and that's all that matters, right? But actually, yeah I probably do have a pretty good idea about the time you two had last night," he said smirking all while eyeing his laptop. I sat up and scowled at him.  
  
"Exactly what do you know?" I asked.  
  
"More than you'd probably like me to know. Like you said before, he is my best friend," he stated playing with my hair. I turned my head and stared at his laptop. Jay quickly tried to grab it, but I was too fast for him and I snatched up the laptop before he even came close.  
  
"That's not yours, I highly suggest handing it over," Jay said pointing at me. I shook my head. We were both standing now and I was slowly backing away from him.  
  
"No way, this is my business as much as it is yours especially if it's about MY sex life!" I announced. He dove at me but I moved out of the way leaving him flat on his stomach on the floor. He got back up and chased me around the room. I jumped up on the couch and as he was about to dive at me again...  
  
"Okay stop! I'm willing to make a deal with you. You let me read this and I won't kick you in the balls. Should you take this from me, I promise you will never procreate!" I explained. He stopped and thought about it for a minute.  
  
"You wouldn't!" He shook his head and smirked.  
  
"Oh really. I would kick Adam in the balls, and I probably will after I find out what he told you. So what makes you think I wouldn't touch you?"  
  
"You are evil! Fine, you win," he said sitting on the couch. I sat down next to him and opened the computer. I began to read out loud.  
  
"Alex cupped Mindy's bare breast in his hand as he kissed her face and neck. Mindy imagined that it was not her boyfriend, Alex, bringing her such pleasure but his best friend Jake instead," I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Hey, a guy can dream can't he?" 


	14. This Will Be Best For Us Both In The End

Chapter 14  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
"Yeah babe, I know, take it easy. Listen you shouldn't worry about me...I know, I know. Listen, I gotta get going, Chris just walked in and he's looking at me weird. I don't know, I'll talk to you later...I love you too! Bye!" I turned off my cell phone and glanced over at Chris who was smirking at me in a way that made me very uncomfortable. It had been two weeks since I last saw Adam, and things were back to normal between us.   
  
"You didn't have to go on a count of me," he stated making himself comfortable in my dressing room.  
  
"Well you never come to talk to me unless you want something from me or you're going to yell at me so which is it?" I asked crossing my arms. He slid closer to me on the couch and put his arm around me.  
  
"Tish, calm your pretty little self. Don't you think it would be at all possible that I just wanted to spend some quality time with you before the match tonight?" he asked. I looked deep into his eyes. He was being affectionate, something was definitely up.  
  
"No! Spill it, what's up with you? Why are you willingly touching me?"  
  
"You, my pretty little thang, are going to make me A LOT of money," he stated. I stared at him begging him to continue. "Vince has an idea for a movie and..."  
  
"OH NO, I told you before. I will not, and I repeat, WILL NOT star in a porno with you!" I interrupted.   
  
"Not that movie...it's one of those home video things. You know, they shoot an interview and show some matches and shit like that," he explained as he slid back to the other end of the couch.  
  
"What's the catch?" I asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You wouldn't be in here if there wasn't a catch. I'm not getting naked. I just want to be real clear about that right now!" I started.  
  
"Will you shut up, it's not a fucking porno! Okay, I'm here because Vince says he'll only go ahead with the video if he has something that will be sure to sell it. He wants a certain clip of one of your matches to be on it," He explained.  
  
"Well, which clip does he want?" I questioned not quite sure what Chris was getting at.  
  
"Well ya see, that's the thing. The clip he wants hasn't actually been shot yet," He stated. Right away I wanted to puke. I could just feel some degrading act being thrown at me. "He wants some HLA action between you and Stacy during a bikini match live on Raw tomorrow."  
  
"WHAT? I am the Women's Camp and they want me to have a bikini match with Stacy?"  
  
"Calm down Tish. It's not that bad. Just one kiss, you rip off her shirt and shorts and you win! No big deal!" He said. "Please, you have no idea how big this video could be. Remember Trish's video? It brought in some BIG bucks!"  
  
"Alright assclown. I'll do your stupid HLA match...but only if I get to put my spin on it," I insisted.  
  
"Do whatever you want. As long as I get money out of it I don't give a shit."  
  
"Good, we'll see if you still feel that way come tomorrow night!" I replied. 


	15. Live A Life That You Would Think Was San...

Chapter 15  
  
Adam's POV  
  
"Yes Mandy, I'm watching Raw. Why is it so important to you that I see this lesbian kiss anyway?" I asked her over the phone.   
  
"I just want you to see how influential I have become. I have some serious power," She replied. I still didn't get it, but I didn't want to question it.  
  
"Okay, well I'll let you go. Call me after the match. I love you!"  
  
"Love you too," She stated before hanging up. I turned on TV and turned the channel. I was just in time to see the end of a match between Test and Booker T. I had some sympathy for Test, better known as Andrew. We were almost in the same position. He and Stacy Keibler had been dating for sometime and actually had a story line together for a while, but like any story line, Vince decided it just wasn't working anymore so she was sent to valet for Jay. Now Andrew is the jealous type, he always has been and probably always will be. The first time Stacy and Jay kissed on screen, it took Jericho and Stacy a half-hour to convince Andrew not to kill poor Jay. I believe that I can handle the jealousy better, but I can't deny that when you watch your girlfriend making out with another man on TV every week you don't feel uncomfortable. Not that I thought then that there was anything going on between Mandy and Chris. I trusted her and he was one of my best friends. I don't know, I guess I can't really explain it. I know it's scripted, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.   
  
When it was time for Mandy's match, Chris, Stacy, Jay and her all filled the ring. Mandy and Stacy kept looking at each other and smirking and I figured it was just some teasing because everyone knew what was going to happen, but I should have known better. Women always seem to have something up their sleeves.  
  
"I know there are some bets going on backstage between the guys as to what exactly is going to happen during this match," Mandy started saying into the microphone. Stacy and her both discarded their robes revealing tiny bikinis and the guys just went wild. "Don't get me wrong guys, I know that two hot women in bikinis can warp your minds. But imagine my surprise to find my boyfriend, Chris, trying to convince me to kiss my dear friend Stacy for a cheap thrill." Jericho grabbed the mica from her.  
  
"This is not a cheap thrill. I'll have you know I've got $100 bucks riding on this bet. Come on baby," he persuaded. Mandy jerked the mic out of his hand and continued her rant.  
  
"As I was saying, I talked to Stacy and it turns out Christian seems to have the same warped mind as Chris. However, we decided to give you both what you want," the crowd erupted and Jay and Chris were basking in their victory with some high fives. Stacy walked up to Mandy and brushed her fingers across Mandy's bare stomach. Mandy smirked again and finished her statement. "Oh but there's a catch. If we are going to kiss in front of everyone here...then so are you!" She insisted pointing at Jay and Chris. The expressions on the guy's faces suddenly dropped. Jay violently shook his head no and Chris started yelling some kind of excuse. "Hey, that's fine. If you don't want to see us kiss and collect your money, be my guest. I'm perfectly content with just going ahead with the match. But let me also tell you that if you two kiss, Stacy and I won't disappoint!" Chris turned to Jay and I could tell that none of this was planned. Chris grabbed Jay's face and planted the most awkward peck on his lips I believe I had ever seen before Jay could even protest. Jay quickly pushed Chris away from him in disgust.   
  
"You call that a kiss? Come on Mandy, lets show these assholes how it's done!" Stacy exclaimed. Now, I knew Mandy and Stacy were somewhat friends, but I never knew friends kissed like THAT. I faintly remember watching the rest of the match, but I honestly couldn't tell you what happened. I think I was still sitting there with my mouth hanging open twenty minutes after it was over. I think every other guy watching would tell you the same.   
  
A/N- Hey everybody! Hope you are enjoying the story so far. I know my mom sure is! Well anyway, sorry it has been taking me so long to update but school is taking up most of my time. Not to mention the fact that I just got cast as a lead in out production of Godspell. I'll try to keep it up as much as possible! R&R, it is the highlight of my day! 


	16. You're Going On Nonetheless

Chapter 16  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
Two weeks later, Vince started production on our home video. Chris was pissed at me for putting him on the spot like that on national TV, but he quickly got over it when I reminded him that he had agreed to putting my spin on things the night before it actually happened. Not to mention the fact that his bank account was now significantly larger even though I'm sure he was in no dire need of money.   
  
A few days after they started the movie, I was training with Trish in the ring and really fucked up a moonsault. I landed right on my knee. Of course, me being the stupid idiot that I am, I completely ignored the doctor's advice to stay off it for at least three weeks. I was back the next week on Raw.   
  
It wasn't unknown to me that Paul had a crush on me. Jericho had killed any doubt I might have had about the situation when he made the comments about Paul looking at my ass in a prior fight, but I really didn't care all that much. Paul was a really sweet guy and if he was attracted to me then I just took that as flattery. It was announced that Paul was going to start a rivalry with Chris for the championship and things started getting crazy backstage. I felt so bad for Paul because the guys would constantly rib him about getting a chance to be close to me. In one night in particular, I was in the greenroom backstage getting something to drink and a bunch of guys were sitting with Paul making all kinds or cat calls and such. I tried to ignore them until Randy Orton spoke directly to me.  
  
"Hey Mandy, how about some lovin for our friend over here?" he teased throwing a five dollar bill at my feet. Well of course, he's not the only tease. I was wearing a short skirt so I decided to bend down and pick up the money giving them a good view of my new sexy black underwear. Hey, Adam was on Smackdown, I wanted someone to see my new lingerie! The cat calls continued as I walked over to Paul, who by this time was a very deep shade of red, and sat down on his lap.   
  
"I think you should have this," I stated as I slipped the five into his pant pocket. I kissed him on the cheek and whispered into his ear, "Why do you hang out with these pricks?" He shook his head as if to say he didn't know why he hung out with such losers. "That's okay, I know you have more class than them!" I stated loud enough for everyone to hear me as I got up and started walking away very contently.   
  
"Dude, she totally wants you!" I heard Randy say as I walked out of the room.   
  
The next week on Raw, Chris and Paul were scheduled to have a ladder match for the title. Chris was scripted to win, but Vince really wanted me to get involved somehow if we could fit it in somehow. I suggested that at the end of the match when Chris was going to be selling a pedigree, I would run in the ring just as Paul was at the top of the ladder and do a hurricanrana from the top of the ladder.   
  
"I don't think it's a good idea. Not with your knee the way it is," Paul responded. I brushed it off.  
  
"My knee is fine," I protested.  
  
"He's right Mandy. It's way too risky. I think I should just suplex him off the ladder and then climb up and get the belt," Chris suggested.  
  
"Chris, there's no way you are going to be able to get there in time to do that. The fans will never buy it. He'll be holding onto the belt before you even get your ass off the mat!" I insisted.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Chris asked.  
  
"I think what she is trying to say is that you have a tendency to sell big bumps a little too long. How about this, if he gets up in time he'll do the suplex but if not you can intervene," Paul asked. Chris was scowling at me from my comment but I agreed to Paul's plan only because I knew there was no way Chris would ever get to him on time anyway and it would be too much effort to argue with them any longer about the issue.   
  
(A/N- Hey guys...PLEASE keep the reviews coming. It really makes it a lot more fun when I know people are still reading! Hope everyone is still enjoying.) 


	17. Do You Wake Up On Your Own

Chapter 17  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
There I was, standing outside the ring watching as Paul started climbing the ladder. Chris was lying practically lifeless on the mat. I laughed a little to myself at his words just prior to the match. "Just stand out there and look good. I'll get up in time. I know I can make this spot!" HA, yeah right. I knew it was up to me. Paul was staggering up to the top. Soon he was in perfect position. I looked at Chris and he wasn't even close to being on his feet. I jumped into the ring and raced up the ladder. I jumped on his shoulders and brought him to the ground with a hurricanrana from twelve feet above the ring. As soon as I hit the mat, I felt as if I hit harder than I probably should have. My heart seemed to drop and I was a bit dizzy, but my knee was fine. My lower back took most of the impact and I didn't feel I needed to sell the move at all because it knocked the wind out of me for real! I looked up and Chris was standing over me. I motioned to him with my arms for him to go for the belt. He climbed the ladder and held the belt high over his head in victory!  
  
Backstage, Chris was pretty mad. "I know I could've gotten there. If you would have given me ten more seconds..." he started.  
  
"If I'd have given you ten more seconds he would have had the belt in his hands Chris!" I shouted.   
  
"Don't you understand that you could've seriously fucked up your career if you'd have landed on your leg! Let's not even mention the fact that if your career is over, that's gonna hurt mine considering we have a cult like following here!" he retaliated.  
  
"Chris, relax man. It's okay, her career isn't over and neither is yours!" Paul defended. He's such a sweet guy!  
  
"I don't even want to go there with you! I know you only think things went well out there because you got to have her crotch in your face!" Chris yelled. Paul scowled. It was one of the first times I had ever seen him seriously angry.  
  
"Fuck this! I've had enough from all of you!" he stated as he walked away. I just stood there looking on. Chris watched him head off to his locker room and took a sip from his water bottle.  
  
"So how is the knee by the way?" he asked. I shook my head in disbelief and walked away from him without answering. I went off and to talk to Paul about Jericho's poor attitude. Later that night I was still a little out of it from that huge bump. Chris was currently not speaking to me so you can imagine my horror when I got to the hotel only to find that him and I were sharing conjoining rooms. I was feeling tired and sore so I decided to turn in early. I was woken up sometime around three in the morning by horrible cramps that shot through my midsection. I cried out a little in pain and realized that my legs were really cold. I threw the covers off of me and turned off the light and looked down in terror to see that I was covered in blood! The white sheets were completely soaked in the liquid and I just sat there in shock. I didn't know what to do. I got up and ran over to the door leading to Chris's room and pounded on it violently. A few seconds later, Chris opened the door rubbing his eyes and pushing long blonde locks out of his face.  
  
"Tish what in God's name is wrong...HOLY SHIT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" He asked realizing that I was covered in blood from the waist down. By this time I had burst into tears at the state I was in, not to mention the pain.  
  
"I don't know, something is seriously wrong. I need to go to the hospital!" I said between sobs.   
  
"It'll be okay, let me get my keys. I'll take care of it!" He stated taking me into his arms and leading me into his room. In a matter of minutes we were in his car on our way to the nearest emergency room. I felt bad about bloodying up the seat of his rental car, but he insisted that he would take care of everything and that we just needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I was still crying as I sat in the emergency room filling out forms while he started yelling at people to get me some help.   
  
(A/N- Yes...Paul is HHH...) 


	18. Live With All Your Faults

Chapter 18  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
The official term they gave me was spontaneous abortion. My god why couldn't they have just said miscarriage? The word abortion just makes it sound so much dirtier. It turns out I had been pregnant for five weeks without knowing it. Yeah, that sounds about right, I hadn't seen Adam in five weeks. They put me on a painkiller and told me that I would be released sometime in the afternoon but in the meantime they were concerned about infection or any other complications. I knew I had taken a harder spill than usual from the top of that ladder, but the nurse assured me that any bump at all would have been enough to cause the miscarriage which made me wonder how I had made it five weeks in the first place. After the pain had subsided and I was cleaned up, I had a chance to just relax when they moved me to my more permanent hospital room.   
  
"Excuse me," asked a quiet voice. I was almost asleep so I opened my eyes to see a short plump nurse sticking her head into my room. "I'm really sorry to bother you again, I know you've had a hard night, but there is a man in the waiting room that won't stop yelling. I tried to tell him that he can't see you unless he is immediate family but he is insisting upon seeing you." I felt so bad for her. I knew how Chris could get and I didn't even want to picture him yelling at this sweet little woman like I'm sure he had. I smiled at her and almost laughed a little at the thought of Chris overreacting.   
  
"It's okay, you can let him back here...he's...ah...he's the father," I assured her. She shook her head and smiled back at me sympathetically. I guess I was getting good at this acting thing. After all, it is kinda required to be a wrestler these days, not to mention having to pretend Chris and I were good friends in front of Adam which proved to be my best work to this day. Honestly, I didn't want Adam to know that Chris and I were less than friends. I was Adam's girlfriend and Chris was one of his best friends so I didn't want things to come across as awkward as they really were. Chris had actually surprised me with the compassion that he showed when I showed up at his door at three in the morning. I guess he does have a soul.   
  
Now I knew I had a lot more acting ahead of me. I was not even close to being ready to tell Adam about losing his child and Jay and Trish being the loudmouths that they are, I knew couldn't know either. I knew I had to tell Chris, there was no way around that. He had been there for everything so far and I wasn't about to leave him out in the cold. I just had to make him understand that nobody else could know right now. It was going to be strange having to only confide in Chris, but I was going to make it work. He had proven that he had hints of decency in him somewhere.   
  
The nurse left me alone and for a while things were quiet but I knew that wouldn't last long. As soon as they let Chris out of the waiting room, I knew there would be trouble of some sort.   
  
"Get your goddamn hands off me, I'll find it on my own thank you very much!" I could hear from halfway down the hall. I smiled at the sound of his voice since it was the only thing in the hospital that I could recognize. I guess Chris was my security blanket of sorts. "Run along Jr., I told you I'll be fine on my own. Took you long enough to come to your senses in the first place. Yeah that's right, father over here." I couldn't help but laugh to myself. It was too bizarre. I heard my door squeak open a crack soon followed my Chris popping his head through the door. "Mandy, you in here?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here," I replied. He walked in the dark room completely and came over to the chair beside my bed and tried to make himself comfortable.   
  
"Are you okay? What's this about me being a father?" he asked genuinely concerned even though he smirked a bit at his last comment. I opened my mouth to explain, but I was interrupted before I could even speak.  
  
"Excuse me, we were wondering if we could get an autograph?" I snapped my head to see two nurses standing in my doorway. Chris exploded at them. HELLO, I was only freaking in the HOSPITAL. Talk about bad timing. I tried to calm him down because he was just going off. Despite their rudeness, I felt somewhat bad for them because Chris scared the shit out of them. I signed their stuff anyway. 


	19. The Grave That You Refuse To Leave

Chapter 19  
  
Chris's POV  
  
I was shocked to hear that Mandy had a miscarriage. When it was finally time for her to be released from the hospital, I almost didn't know what to do. Should I take her back to the hotel? We were in Boston so it wasn't exactly as if I could drive her home. "Where do we go from here?" I asked her as I helped her out of the wheelchair and into the front seat of my car.   
  
"I guess we need to talk to Vince. I need some time off," she replied. I didn't even think about that. I walked around and got into the driver's side.  
  
"Maybe you should go back to the hotel and take it easy. You can stay in my room. I'll talk to Vince for you," I suggested.  
  
"I don't know just how much of the truth he should know," She stated as she gazed out the window. I didn't know if she was embarrassed to look at me or what the deal was, but she seemed a bit distant.  
  
"What do you mean? Don't know think we should talk to Vince about this?" I asked. She shook her head.  
  
"Chris, you know as well as I do how Vince is. He'll probably want to incorporate this into the story line or something. This isn't exactly something I want the whole world to know," She explained. She was right, I wouldn't put it past Vince to do something like that.   
  
"I'll tell him that you re-injured your leg last night. He'll give you some time for that I think. He'll probably be pissed though," I announced.   
  
"I don't really care, I just can't be there right now."  
  
"I know, don't worry about it. Everything will be fine. So, what are you going to do about Adam?" I asked. I know it wasn't really any of my business, but it seemed that Mandy and I were making huge strides within our relationship. We were actually having a conversation without killing each other!  
  
"Oh God Chris, please don't say anything to him about it! I know I'll have to tell him eventually, but I have to deal with this myself before I can deal with telling him. I don't want anyone knowing yet. This is just between us, okay?" She asked this time looking directly at me. I felt kind of hesitant about agreeing with her, but I knew that it must have been some kind of psychological thing keeping her from telling Adam. I could see why she didn't want it getting around backstage, but keeping it from her boyfriend. Oh well, I agreed. I felt really bad for her. It was almost as if she was dealing with the entire situation alone. When we got to the hotel, I walked her back to my room. She sat down on the bed and must have had a mental breakdown. She started sobbing softly and I sat next to her and wrapped her up in my arms. I let her cry on my shoulder for a while all while stroking her hair and telling her that everything was going to be okay. This went on for a good ten minutes. Finally she calmed down.  
  
"Is there anything I can do for you? Can I get you something before I go talk to Vince?" I asked. She shook her head.  
  
"No I don't think so, I think I'm going to take a nap," She responded. I shook my head and started for the door. She pulled back the covers and made herself comfortable.  
  
"We'll go back to Tampa tomorrow," I assured her as I opened the door and stepped into the hall.  
  
"Chris," She called after me. "Please, don't be gone too long. I really don't want to be alone right now!" I nodded and closed the door behind me. For the first time I realized that she needed me to be there for her. She wasn't dealing with the situation alone, because I was going to help her through it at whatever cost.  
  
(A/N- Thanks for all the reviews! Here's some more chapters for your enjoyment.) 


	20. Hidden In The Public Eye

Chapter 20  
  
Chris's POV  
  
I never got a chance to talk to Vince. He was out visiting with some important people, or so I was told. I did talk to Shane though, and that was probably for the best because we're friends and it just makes things a lot easier to explain. He was very understanding and said that Mandy and I could take off until Raw the next week, which gave us six days. As soon as Shane gave me the okay, I went back to the hotel room and started making some calls about getting a flight back to Tampa while Mandy slept restlessly on the bed. A few hours later we were in the air on our way home. I could tell Mandy wasn't feeling good because she slept through almost the entire flight. I had traveled with her a lot since pairing up with her and I can't remember her ever sleeping through a flight.   
  
When we finally got to the airport in Tampa, despite flying incognito, we were bombarded by fans. It's just a chain reaction. First one person notices who you are and the next thing you know you are surrounded. I tried telling them that we just wanted to get home but Mandy stopped me.   
  
"Its fine," she said and signed dozens of autographs for fans until I insisted that we get going. It really surprised me how loyal she remained to her fans even though she was suffering. It was late when I finally pulled up to her driveway. I grabbed her luggage and walked her into her house. She collapsed onto her couch and closed her eyes.  
  
"Are you going to be okay alone tonight?" I asked sitting down next to her. She barely moved and I wasn't sure at first if she had even heard me. I reached my hand over and rested it on her leg. "Mandy..."  
  
"I think I'll be okay," She whispered. I shook my head and got up to leave.  
  
"Alright, I'll stop by tomorrow to see how you are doing," I announced. She didn't acknowledge me so I figured I would just show myself out.  
  
"Chris," she stopped me, "thank you for everything. I know you don't have to do any of this." I smiled at her in disbelief.  
  
"Well hell Tish, what did you think I was gonna do? Leave you to deal with this alone? I'm that cruel."  
  
"I know, I'll see you tomorrow then," she stated. I nodded and walked out the front door down to my car.   
  
The next afternoon I went to check up on Mandy. She answered the door wearing pajama pants and a sports bra with her hair up in a messy bun. I guessed she hadn't gotten out of bed all day.   
  
"Isn't it a little chilly to be wearing something like that?" I asked jokingly as I stepped into the living room. She smiled slightly. Truth be told, she looked good. I like her better natural than with all the makeup and glitter that all the Divas wear in the ring. She welcomed me into her home with open arms...literally. Not two seconds after my comment, she pulled me into a hug. And it was a real hug, not a forced one that I knew all too well from our many victories in the ring. "Please Tish, you have a boyfriend. You wouldn't want him to beat me up would you?" I asked a bit surprised.   
  
"Shut up! I'm just glad I have someone right now," She replied. "So now that you're here, help me clean my house!"  
  
"What for?" I asked making myself comfortable on her couch. "It looks fine to me."  
  
"My mom is coming to visit tomorrow. She's staying until Saturday and Adam's got tomorrow off too so it looks like I'm playing host during my only time off."  
  
"That's great and all, but I'm just getting comfy. Sorry babe!" I stated putting my feet on the coffee table. I guess that didn't sit well with her, because she sprayed me in the face with Windex. 


	21. So This Is Odd

Chapter 21  
  
Adam's POV  
  
Finally, a day off that I could spend with Mandy! With her mother in town, we actually got to have some time to ourselves when her mom took Danny out shopping for the day.   
  
We were sitting on the couch watching a movie or something. I had my arm around her and she was pressed up against my chest. I was paying more attention to her than I was the TV. Her hair was pulled loosely back into a ponytail and she was wearing skin tight jeans and a low cut black top. She was driving me out of my mind. I knew I had to have her right then and there. I shifted my weight and pulled the ponytail from her hair letting the long dark strands fall freely to frame her face. She looked up at me and when she did I cupped her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. It had been so long, too long, since our last encounter and I was longing to touch her, to feel her skin on mine, to be inside of her. I laid her down on the couch positioned myself over her. I kissed her neck and drew a line with my tongue from her collar down to the bare skin between her breasts that her shirt exposed. I could feel my erection straining to be released from the confinement of my jeans. I placed my hands on her waist and raised her shirt a bit exposing her stomach to me. I moved downward and began kissing my way from her bellybutton down to the hem of her pants. My hands reached for her fly when she suddenly pushed me away.  
  
"Adam, we need to stop!" I couldn't believe it. I was starting to breathe heavily by this point and the blood flow rushing to my groin seemed to have no intention of stopping.   
  
"What do you mean?" I asked as she sat up.  
  
"I mean, I can't do this right now," she replied. I was seriously shocked. We hadn't seen each other in over a month and when we finally had the chance to be together, she didn't want to.   
  
"Why, what's wrong?"   
  
"I...Adam I need to tell you something..." She started but trailed off. I was getting concerned. I stared at her for a long time, waiting for her to continue. My eyes were searching her for any clue as to what was going on.  
  
"What is it?" I asked taking her hand.  
  
"I...I ah..." She stammered.   
  
"Damn it Mandy, if you don't want to sleep with me why don't you just tell me?" I exclaimed. She looked back into my eyes sincerely hurt.   
  
"Adam, please. It's not that at all. I mean, I love you!" She defended.  
  
"Well than what is it? Why can't you just say it?"  
  
"MANDY! COME SEE WHAT I GOT!" Danny yelled as she ran through the front door with Mandy's mom, Linda close behind.  
  
"Let me just say, that little girl has a lot of energy!" Linda stated. "What's wrong with you kids? Is everything okay?" She asked as she sat down in the lazy boy obviously able to tell something was up.  
  
"No, not at all! Come on Danny. Let's go get a snack and you can show me everything!" Mandy stated getting up from the couch and leading Danny into the kitchen.   
  
"Are you two okay?" asked Linda when they were safely out of hearing distance.  
  
"I don't know," I replied leaning back on the couch and sighing loudly. And at the time, I really didn't. 


	22. Again It Goes Unnoticed

Chapter 22  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
The next day, Adam had to go back on the road. It was kind of a relief because I really didn't feel like continuing the fight or telling him about the baby. I tried to pretend like everything was okay around Adam, but the little incident made it impossible. He left Danny to spend a week with the Raw crew and me. Before she left, my mom picked up that something was wrong between Adam and I and decided she needed to talk to me about it while Danny was watching a movie in the next room.  
  
"What is going on with you and Adam? He seemed really upset when we got home yesterday."  
  
"It's a really long story..." I stated but never finished. I had no intention of getting into the whole thing.  
  
"Are you fighting?"  
  
"Not really...I don't know...I guess so."   
  
"Good, you can get rid of him and his chin and get with that fine, Clydesdale of a man, Chris! Now he is more suited for you!" I laughed a little.  
  
"Mom, what do you have against Adam?"  
  
"I don't have anything against him. He is a very nice boy and Danny is adorable. You just don't seem very happy...and Chris is just a sexy hunk of man meat!"  
  
"MOTHER! Seriously, you need to remember that I have to work with these people. I don't think I can ever look at him the same again now!" I replied.  
  
"Well tell me what is going wrong with Adam then..." she insisted. As she spoke, the front door opened and in walked Chris with two boxes of pizza.  
  
"Thought I'd bring over some dinner." He stated heading for the kitchen.   
  
"I hope you are planning on eating all of that," I announced as he plopped down beside me shoving a slice into his mouth.   
  
"Don't worry, it'll all get eaten," He assured me with his mouth full of food. Danny heard all of the commotion and ran into the room.  
  
"JERBEAR!" she cried as she dove at Chris. He sat down his pizza and hugged the tiny girl.  
  
"Hey kid, how's it goin?" He asked.  
  
"Jerbear?" I questioned looking at Danny from across the couch.  
  
"Didn't you ever hear of a carebear?" She asked and I nodded. "Well he is my Jerbear! You know, because he is Jericho!" My mom laughed and I just rolled my eyes. I was exhausted. Having mom, Adam and Danny there for even one night was a lot of work. Especially since I felt like I was on the defensive the entire time. I rested my head on Chris's shoulder and closed my eyes.   
  
"Yeah Tish, I'm her Jerbear," He stated putting an arm around me. I snuggled closer to him searching for any sort of comfort. He just sat there eating his pizza. 


	23. The Painful Realization

Chapter 23  
  
Chris's POV  
  
On Sunday morning I went to see how Mandy was holding up. When Mandy answered the door, she looked pretty wrecked. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying and she looked as if she had just rolled out of bed. Well, it was morning so she probably had just rolled out of bed. I asked her what was wrong but she didn't answer me right away. She took my hand and led me into the living room where we sat down on the couch to talk. Danny was still asleep so we were alone.  
  
"Come on Mandy, tell me what's up," I insisted. She looked at me and nodded.  
  
"It is just so hard. I mean, having Danny here is great. I love her to death but every time I look at her I can't help but think of the baby. Oh my god, I was going to have his baby. First I think, there is no way. I am just not ready for that, but then I think oh god I killed my own child..." she started. I tried to protest. She didn't even know she was pregnant when she got into the ring that day. There is nothing she could have done anyway.  
  
"Mandy, you did not kill your baby. How can you even think that?" I asked. She shook her head.  
  
"You told me Chris, you told me not to get into the ring and I did anyway. It is all my fault! And then I think I am such a horrible person because I'm actually glad that I'm not pregnant. I keep thinking that it is okay because I'm not ready to be a parent anyway and then I look at Danny and how great she is and I feel like I might as well have killed her. That child would have been her brother or sister, do you realize that?" I listened as she talked and wrapped my arms around her.   
  
"Well then you should know that you already have a child," I insisted. Mandy looked at me like she didn't have a clue as to what I was talking about. "If you marry Adam, you will be Danny's mother, not only then though. Even now you basically are the only motherly figure in her life."  
  
"Chris, first of all Adam and I have never even talked about marriage. Secondly, I barely ever get to see her anymore. How can I be a motherly figure if I'm never there?" she asked.   
  
"HA, trust me you'd be surprised. You don't have to be there everyday to love them and for them to love you. You don't have to be there everyday to make an impact on someone's life. Look at my son and I. I see him about once a month but that doesn't change how much I love him. My ex-wife and I may not be together anymore, but Ash knows that I still see him when I can and that I love him more than life."  
  
"Chris, I don't think I can be Danny's mother," she replied.  
  
"You aren't officially unless you end up marrying Edgeward, but she pretty much chose you already. So what are you guys up to today anyway?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing...why? You need me to do some of your dirty work?" She retorted.  
  
"No, not today. Actually I know a big fan of yours who would like to meet you."  
  
"Should I be scared?"   
  
"That depends...its my son. I'm taking him to Busch Gardens today and I wanted to know if you two wanted to some along."  
  
"You are insane. Its Sunday and you are going to an amusement park. Do you know how crowded it is going to be?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah but I figure, why the hell not? So are you in?" I asked standing up and holding out my hand. She sighed and took it as we walked upstairs go wake up Danny.   
  
A/N- Hey guys, just in case anyone was wondering, the reason I haven't updated in a really long time is because I was busy with the musical. Well that is over now so I'm back! I hope everyone is enjoying the story! 


	24. Time Has Been Spread So Thin

Chapter 24  
  
Chris's POV  
  
"Jess, we're here!" I yelled into the house that I used to share with my ex, Jessica, and my son Ash. She came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel. Mandy stood with Danny behind me. I could tell she felt uncomfortable.  
  
"Well I see that you big idiot," She teased and smiled at us. Despite being divorced, Jess and I still had a very good relationship. She greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and introduced herself to Mandy. Danny had met Jess and Ash before.   
  
"So, where is Ash?" I asked sitting on the couch and putting my feet on the coffee table.   
  
"He is up getting ready. He is very excited about meeting his favorite wrestler today so he wants to look extra special," She stated. We both smiled and turned our gaze to Mandy. Ash had been a very faithful fan of Mandy's since she first entered the WWE. I'm sure it had something to do with testosterone, but being eight, I wasn't concerned. Ash made his way into the room looking mighty dressed up for going to an amusement park.   
  
"Hey kid, ready to go?" I asked as he sat next to me. He didn't answer me he just stared over at Mandy with a goofy looking grin on his face. "Ah yes, Mandy, meet my son Ash."  
  
"Hi Ash, I'm Mandy McCarthy," Mandy offered but he interrupted her.  
  
"Mandy McCarthy, 24 years old from Etters, Pennsylvania but currently residing in Tampa. Current story lines include holding the women's championship and tagging with my dad. Your sister is Missy McCarthy who you left over on Smackdown with Brock, a past onscreen love interest. Trust me, I know who you are!" he explained as he shook her hand. I couldn't help but laugh a bit.   
  
"Impressive, but you left out everything about Ohio Valley and my earlier days with the company," She smiled as he blushed a bit.   
  
"Hi Ash!" Danny chimed in. it was well known to many that Danny had a huge crush on Ash since the day they first met. He gave her a slight wave. We arrived at the park a few minutes later and Ash took Danny on a few rides leaving Mandy and I some time to talk between the occasional autograph request.   
  
"I want to apologize to you," I started. Mandy was sitting cross from me at a picnic table while Ash and Danny rode the pirate ship. She was wearing a black tee shirt with tan shorts and dark sunglasses which she currently had sitting on top of her head pulling her hair out of her face. She looked quite beautiful.  
  
"For what?" She questioned. I looked down at my hands nervously.  
  
"For Ohio Valley." She didn't say anything for a while. I looked up to see if I could read an expression from her face. I couldn't. She looked over at me, but not quite in anger, yet not with forgiveness either.   
  
"We shouldn't get into that here," She finally stated but I pressed on.  
  
"Did you ever tell Adam?" I asked. She shook her head no. I'm sure not many people did know. If they did, I certainly wasn't the one to tell them. I had told exactly three people one being my ex-wife and the other two being my best friends but I'm sure they didn't remember. It had been three years since it happened. "You don't tell each other much do you?"   
  
"Not as much as we probably should." Just then Ash and Danny ran up to us.  
  
"We want to ride the tilt-a-whirl. Will you guys ride with us?" Ash asked. Mandy shook her head yes and took his outstretched hand. Danny grabbed mine and we made our way over to the line. 


	25. You Can Count Your Friends But You Can't...

Chapter 25  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
Going back to work was hectic right from the first day. I was in the hallway stretching when Paul walked up to me and asked to talk to me. I said yes and he took my hand leading me into the green room, which was occupied by only a few other people. We sat down on the couch and asked him what was up.  
  
"Did you really have a miscarriage?" He asked looking directly into my eyes. I gasped a little, shocked at how he had found out such information. Sadly, I shook my head yes.   
  
"This is true," I said, my voice cracking a bit. I could almost see his heart drop. He looked away from me for a moment.  
  
"Jericho," He stated shaking his head, "Jericho was the father." I started shaking my head no in protest.   
  
"Its not what you think, Jericho had nothing..." I tried to explain but he would hear any of it.  
  
"Ya know, I always felt like there was something between us, but I didn't pursue anything because I knew that you belonged to Adam. I never would have thought you overlook both of us for the likes of Jericho. Hell I even thought you hated each other. I see now that I was wrong," He announced as he got up and walked away from me.   
  
"Paul," I stopped him. He turned around and looked at me in acknowledgement. "Where did you get this information?" I asked.  
  
"The internet teaches you a lot," He responded before leaving for real. I made my way back to my locker room to find Jay sitting on my couch.   
  
"Have fun on holiday with Chris?" he asked.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned defensively.   
  
"What is going on Mandy? I can see how different things are with you and him now. I heard you two were either together or on the phone with each other the entire time you were out. Adam said you wouldn't even touch him while he was with you," Jay explained.  
  
"Jay, I suggest you just stop now because you honestly don't know half of it," I announced.  
  
"Well then why don't you tell me? I thought we were friends," He started.  
  
"We are, I am going through a really rough time right now and its something that only Chris can help me with." I stated. He came over to me and hugged me.  
  
"If we are friends than you can talk to me about it. It scares me that you are confiding in Jericho about something if it is that important. I know you hated him. I'd like to know what happened, but I can see you aren't ready to tell me yet. I wish you would tell Adam though because he misses you. As your friend I feel compelled to tell you that Adam thinks something is up with you and Jericho and I can't totally disagree with him, with reading the internet rumors and all."  
  
"Jay, I have never been pregnant with Jericho's child."  
  
"Well, I'm leaving. I have a match to get ready for. I left you some more of my story to read when you get a chance. Adam wants you to call him. Smackdown is gonna be near us soon, I'm sure he wants to make plans to get together." Jay explained. He walked out of my room and I stared down at the stack of papers in front of me. 


	26. Just Bend The Pieces 'Till They Fit

Chapter 26  
  
Adam's POV  
  
"Its good Jay, I just wish Mindy would realize that Alex really loves her and only wants her to feel the same way about him." I stated laying on Jason's couch in his locker room. Smackdown was in Philadelphia and Raw was in NYC, so I decided to pay a little visit. I saw Jay first and had been told that Mandy and Chris were traveling together and weren't at the arena yet.   
  
"I'm sure she knows you love her Adam. I honestly don't know what is going on right now." He stated. I closed my eyes. My head hurt. I didn't want to feel like this anymore but for some reason, Mandy wouldn't talk to me about anything so I was forced to make assumptions and deal with everything on my own.   
  
"So tell me Jay, how does the story end? Every time I think they are finally together, something happens to pull them apart. Does he ever get the girl?"   
  
"I don't know man, but I sure hope so." Jay announced shaking his head. There was a faint knock on the door and Trish poked her head in.  
  
"Adam, she just got here," She announced. I sat up and rubbed my head again pushing my hair out of my face.   
  
"Okay, thanks Trish." I stated as I left the room and walked down the hall. I found Mandy's dressing room from the number she had given me and knocked lightly. When I got no answer I decided just to go in. Mandy was sitting on her couch leaning her head on Chris's shoulder. Her eyes were closed and he was stroking her hair. "Mandy..." I said quietly to get her attention. Immediately her eyes opened and she looked up at me.   
  
"You better go," She said to Chris. He nodded and rose off the couch. He walked by me to get to the door and I glared at him with pure hatred. He smirked as if it were funny and walked out of the room.  
  
"Call if you need anything," he stated before shutting the door behind him. With him gone, I stared at Mandy in silence until I couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"Are you fucking him?" I spat in her direction. The look on her face was of pure shock.   
  
"NO, how could you even say that?" She asked.   
  
"Well you're definitely not fucking me so I'm imagining you must be getting it somewhere else."  
  
"I'm not cheating on you. I love you, Adam. Unfortunately you are being a grade A asshole right now." She insisted.  
  
"Well, you tell me what I'm supposed to think then, Mandy. I come to see you after five weeks on the road and you push me away. I walk in here and you're caressing one of my best friends. I've talked to Jay and Trish; they told me that something is different between you two. I could sense something that first night I saw you together. Just today Danny told me that Chris was over at your house almost every day she spent with you."  
  
"Adam, I will not lie to you. Chris and I have been spending more time together lately, but I love YOU!" she cried.  
  
"Tell me then, tell me that you never had sex with him," I pleaded. She stared at me silent. "Damn it, Mandy, you said you wouldn't lie to me and that you never cheated on me so tell me. Say you never slept with him" Tears rolled down her cheeks and I felt like I was going to throw up.  
  
"I can't," She replied. I didn't stick around for an explanation. I had to get out of there.   
  
A/N- Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around in a while...it's a long story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new updates. I'll try to post more regularly. 


	27. It's Easy To Be Surprised With Both Your...

Chapter 27  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I had to tell Adam everything. If I didn't, I knew I would lose him forever. I figured I would head over to his hotel after Raw. After my match, I called Chris and he came back to my room to talk to me for a while.   
  
"How much are you going to take from him?" he asked. I looked at him not quite sure what he meant. "Mandy, you've told me everything, and what you haven't told me Adam has. I know about what happened when you first told him you loved him. I know about the drugs and I know how he is treating you now. How much are you going to take?" I hadn't really thought about it before.   
  
"I don't know. I just...I don't know." I stated as I sat down next to Chris. I could feel his eyes on me as we sat in silence for a while.   
  
"I didn't want to leave you there..." he started. I closed my eyes.   
  
"Please Chris, let's not start this up again."  
  
"I want you to know, okay? You never got an explanation. Here it is, I was still with Jess at the time. It was hard. We were separated and I was devastated. I figured I had ruined everything. My lifestyle didn't allow us to be together anyway and I figured she would use that to take my son away from me. I decided that I should cut back on my traveling while everything was going on, so I decided to train some of the kids at OVW. When I saw you there, I immediately knew I wanted you. For six weeks I trained with you and got as close to you as I could. I honestly never thought I would ever be with you, but when you expressed interest I took advantage. Never did I think that someone could compare to Jess, but when I woke up the next morning and you were sleeping next to me, I was scared at how quickly I had forgotten Jess. I didn't know what to do. I had to get away from you, I had to go back to Jess. I never meant to hurt you, but she was my wife."  
  
"I never even saw you again, until I came here." I stated. He shook his head. "I really thought I loved you. For those six weeks I kept thinking, this is it, you found what you were looking for. Then I gave myself to you and I woke up the next morning alone. I put my clothes back on and waited for a while. You didn't come back. I went back to OVW that morning and they said you had gone back to Florida to be with your wife, your WIFE! HA! I didn't even know you were still married. You had told me it was over. Well, looking at it now, I guess it was, but still."  
  
"I know, that's why I'm trying to apologize to you. Just so we are clear though, I thought I loved you too. That is what scared me the most. It was too soon. Jess and I had a son together. I felt like I was throwing my life away."   
  
"Why are men so afraid of love?" I asked as I turned away from him. "When I told Adam I loved him, he ran away from me too." Chris came up behind me and put his hands on my bare shoulders. He ran his hands down the length of my arms and back up, his touch sending chills down my spine.   
  
"I don't know," he whispered, "But I'd be a fool if I didn't tell you how stupid I was and how lucky Adam is now that he finally has you." I turned around and was met by his starry blue gaze. I remember looking into his eyes before and feeling as if a cold unreachable heart backed his icy stare. I knew better now. "Do you love me?"   
  
"How can you ask me that? How can you criticize Adam for doing some of the same things you have done?" I asked. He didn't really answer me.   
  
"I love you! Come with me. We can be together for real this time." He whispered longingly. I pulled away.  
  
"Right now, I have to go talk to Adam," I stated leaving him standing in my locker room. 


	28. Thanks For Waiting This Long To Show You...

Chapter 28  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
On my drive to Philadelphia, I thought about when Adam and I had first started seeing each other and how much Missy was reluctant to accept it. I can remember her words, "This is going to end up just like last time..." She was the only one I had ever told about my encounter with Chris. She knew that we were an item during our training because we had immediate chemistry in the ring, but she was the only one I ever told that we had been together out of the ring. I did Chris back at OVW. He was one of the first men I had ever really loved, at least to the point where I wanted to sleep with him. He was my first. I had waited 21 years before I could allow myself to love someone enough to give them my virginity and I had to wake up the next morning alone. I had a few other boyfriends right away because I thought it would distract me from the pain I felt from Chris. When Adam came along, I was ready to move on. Moving to Raw brought Chris back into my life. I didn't want any old feelings to come back, so I took all of the hurt I had and converted it to hate. If I hated him, then he couldn't hurt me again. I think he was surprised to see me at Raw. We hadn't spoken since that night almost three years earlier. His cocky attitude made me hate him even more. I felt as if he was rubbing it in my face. With his apology and us getting close again came old memories. I remember how gentle he was with me. He knew that I was a virgin and helped make it a pleasant experience for me in whatever way he could. At first, I couldn't help but wonder if I held onto Adam only because I couldn't have Chris, or if I really loved him. Adam was different, he was like me in a sense. He needed me to help him, to be with him and I wasn't about to leave him alone. He needed me the way I needed Chris three years prior. He needed someone to hold onto, someone to tell him it was okay. I needed that with Chris, only I wasn't as lucky.   
  
Soon I had arrived at Adam's hotel. I got out of the car only to see Torrie and Kurt pull up. They were both surprised to see me but I explained to them that I needed to talk to Adam right away. It was a good thing I saw them because Adam hadn't given me his room number. Torrie kept trying to tell me about some new guy that had come to Smackdown and how she found out he was into some kinky shit by snooping around his car or something and Kurt must have sensed that I was getting restless because finally he interrupted her and gave me the room number. I could have kissed him right there for shutting her up, but instead I thanked him and ran inside.  
  
I made my way to the elevator and got sidetracked once again by a group of kids asking for my autograph.   
  
"Mandy, where's Chris? Are you two in town for Smackdown?" one asked.   
  
"No, actually I'm visiting a friend on the roster."   
  
"Should we be expecting a wedding sometime in the future?" Asked another one. I smiled a bit, amused by the fact that they seemed to actually believe the story lines.  
  
"You'll just have to keep watching." I announced as I finished signing their merchandise. Finally I got into the elevator and made my way to the third floor. Once I was there, I walked down the hallway until I stopped in front of room 321 as Kurt had informed me. I knocked lightly. I waited a few seconds but nobody came to the door. I knocked again, a little louder this time. Finally I heard someone stir within the room. I turned around and smoothed my hair and went over everything I was going to say to him in my head. I was going to tell him everything; everything about the baby, Jericho, just everything.   
  
"Can I help you?" Asked a female voice from behind me. I turned around shocked and immediately recognized her from the various pictures around Adam's house. It was his ex-wife. She was wearing a silk robe that wasn't shut, completely revealing the fact that she was wearing nothing but a bra and panties underneath. I was about to ask her if Adam was there, knowing full well that he was, but Adam appeared at the door before I got a chance. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and he looked at me as if his eyes had no emotion behind them. "Who is this?" She demanded, looking at Adam for answers.   
  
"No one," he replied coldly, closing the door in my face. 


	29. Pushing Everything That's Good Away

Chapter 29  
  
Chris's POV  
  
When Mandy called me crying from her house in Pennsylvania, I immediately headed for the car. However, Trish and Jay stopped me in the hall. After I explained the whole thing to them, they insisted on coming with me. I tried to talk them out of it but they said that they were friends too and wanted to be there for both Adam and Mandy. Halfway to Pennsylvania I knew it was a big mistake to bring them with me because Trish had to go to the bathroom every ten minutes and Jay kept giving me the third degree on whether or not I had ever had sex with Mandy. When we arrived at Mandy's house, I held her in my arms until she calmed down enough to tell me where Adam was. When I got the desired information, I asked Jay and Trish to stay with Mandy, however Jay insisted upon coming with me. Trish took my place on the couch consoling Mandy and I drove to Adam's hotel fully intending to kick the shit out of him.   
  
When we arrived at Adam's door, he had barely turned the handle to open the door when I burst through. Any evidence of Alanah ever being there had long been removed and he was looking at me as if he wanted to kill me. I, however, made the first move and lounged at him, arms thrashing, legs kicking. I wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt Mandy. I wanted him to die. Adam was stunned for a split second before he began to fight back. He flailed his arms, punching, hitting, and trying to bring me down. Jay jumped in between us and tried pulling us apart.   
  
"ENOUGH," Jay yelled finally. Adam had fallen on the floor and was sitting with his back against the bed. I stood over him. We were both breathing heavy and staring each other down. We looked at each other with intense hatred. "Both of you are acting like children. Stop it right now. We are all supposed to be friends here." Adam rose to his feet, bringing him to eye level.   
  
"How could you have done that to her?" I yelled. He didn't even blink; he just glared at me.  
  
"How could you do this to me?" He replied. "You are supposed to be my best friend, how could you sleep with her?" He was genuinely hurt.   
  
"Adam, Mandy never cheated on you, at least not with me. It is true that we slept together, but it was only once and it was three years ago. You didn't even know her then. Plus, I told you about it." I defended  
  
"The fuck you did. I think I would remember if you told me you fucked my girlfriend."  
  
"She wasn't your girlfriend when it happened. It was back when I was training the OVW kids. I know you remember. The dark mysterious girl, the one I deflowered."  
  
"Oh my god," he whispered. He was pissed now. I wanted to anger him more. I wanted him to feel MY pain.  
  
"I remember your reaction. 'Way to go man' you said. I told you how she was a virgin and you laughed. You LAUGHED at it. I remember telling you how hot and tight she was, what a fast learner she was, and boy was she willing to learn,"  
  
"Stop," Adam pleaded. He rubbed his face with his hand and I knew he was feeling like shit.   
  
"What's wrong Adam? Starting to remember now? How about this, I remember how you slapped my hand when I told you that it was so good, I sent her over the edge TWICE!"  
  
"FUCKING STOP IT!" he yelled.  
  
"Are you mad because of how you acted, or because I had her first? Either way you can't change it, and I can't change the fact that you have her now. You are a fucking idiot. You may love her, but I love her too and I'm not going to let you keep hurting her. If you won't treat her right, I will. Ask her about the baby she lost. Maybe then you'll know why you can't touch her anymore." I stated before leaving.  
  
A/N- Sorry...I know its been a while. Hope you enjoy. R&R...please! 


	30. There You Go With Hope Again

Chapter 30  
  
Chris's POV  
  
I waited in the car for about fifteen minutes for Jay. When he finally made his way to the car, I had calmed down a bit. As we drove back to Mandy's house it was silent for a long time. Finally, Jay spoke.  
  
"What's the deal with the baby?" he asked quietly. I glanced over at him for a split second before returning my focus to the road.  
  
"After the ladder match she went to bed early. We were sharing a conjoined room. She woke me up at about two in the morning and was covered in blood below the waist. I took her to the hospital and they said I was spontaneous abortion, a.k.a. miscarriage. It was Adam's baby, not mine. You know how awkward things were between Mandy and I. After that first time we had sex, it never happened again. Anyway, she didn't want anyone to know. She went through a lot of emotional pain. I tried to help her out as much as I could. We told Shane that she re-injured her knee and got some time off. She was so hurt when she came back on the road and everyone started jumping on her about our relationship. Especially you, she expected more from you." I explained. Jay sat silent again for a while. I imagine he was trying to absorb everything I had told him.  
  
"Do you really love her?" He asked.  
  
"Yes," I responded simply. It was silent the rest of the way. When we got back to Mandy's, Trish had informed us that she had talked Mandy into going out for a night of clubbing to get her mind off things. I thought it was a pretty good idea considering the fact that we all needed to clear our minds a bit. Mandy wanted to talk to me alone for a while, so we took her car and Jay and Trish took the rental.   
  
"What happened?" She asked once we were alone.   
  
"First we beat the shit out of each other, then I tried to explain everything to him."  
  
"What did you say?" she asked concerned.  
  
"I told him what happened three years ago. He was hurt by it, but I think he understands now that you didn't cheat on him. I also said something about the miscarriage, but I didn't go into detail. You need to talk to him. Where am I going here?" I asked looking around at the road signs confused.   
  
"Take the next exit. I'm glad you brought it up. I didn't know how I was going to."  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" I asked glancing over at her.   
  
"I don't know. Did he really sleep with her?"   
  
"I think so." I announced sadly. She looked out the window silently.  
  
"How much are you going to take, Mandy?" She whispered before we pulled up in front of the club.   
  
"What was that?" I asked as I turned off the engine, even though I knew what she said. I wanted to hear her say it again.  
  
"Nothing, let's party. I need some serious alcohol." She laughed. I didn't move, I just looked at her. She turned to me to see what was wrong. "Are you coming?" She asked. I reached over to her and ran my fingers down her cheek. She smiled slightly.   
  
"Let's rock," I said finally as I opened the door.   
  
A/N- I know...its not much, but I promise it leads somewhere. R&R and I'll keep posting. 


	31. Don't Blink, Everyone's Watching

Chapter 31  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
"How much are you going to take?" the words kept running through my head all night. I was already on my third drink of the night and was catching a pretty good buzz, so I decided enough was enough and had water for the rest of the time. I didn't want to get drunk enough to do anything stupid. I really had no desire to throw up. Chris kept sending me suggestive glances all night. Trish and Jay were having a grand old time watching over me like hawks between their dances. I swear, if Jay weren't married, they would make the perfect couple. Anyway, Trish and Jason were talking to me about something stupid like their workout routines when Jericho came up behind me and put his hands on my waist. I pressed back against his chest and felt him nuzzle the side of my head with his nose. I took a sip of my water before sitting it down.   
  
"I love this song, come dance with me," I said taking his hand and leading him out into the middle of the dance floor. In reality, I had no idea what the song was, I just wanted to be close to him. I wanted to feel his heat without Trish and Jay supervising. When we got to the center of the club, his hands immediately grabbed my waist and I decided to grind with him to tease him a bit. His hands moved from my waist to my stomach to my breasts to my shoulders. He pulled my hair away from my neck and replaced it with tiny wet kisses. As our bodies moved to the music, I closed my eyes and all I could feel was him-his hands, his breath, his body pressed to mine. I reached my hand back and ran my fingers through his hair.   
  
"You drive me crazy," He said seductively. I turned around to face him. His mouth searched hungrily for mine. The feeling of his lips on mine was enough to allow me to block out everything else in the room. His tongue searched the depth of my mouth until I pushed back with my own. The salty sweet kiss was wild and completely out of control.   
  
"Let's get out of here," I stated. He shook his head and followed me toward the exit. Halfway there, Trish stopped us.   
  
"Where are you guys going?" She asked in a high pitched tone which irritated me immediately. I didn't want to talk to her. I didn't want to talk to Jay, I wanted Chris and I wanted him now.   
  
"We're leaving. I'd find someplace else to crash tonight," I stated and then continued walking.  
  
"Where are we supposed to go?" Jay questioned a bit pissed. Jericho shrugged, I just ignored them.   
  
The entire ride home was hot and steamy. I ran my hands up and down his thighs and across his chest. I softly kissed his cheek and neck. "If you don't stop that, I might wreck the car," He announced when he couldn't take it anymore. We barely made it through the door before I started stripping him of his clothes. First I tore at his shirt fiercely. I pulled it over his head revealing his muscular chest. I admired it for a millisecond before my hands were all over it. Soon he was tugging at the hem of my shirt. I raised my hands as he pulled the light fabric over my head and tossed it aside. I turned around and started heading toward the bedroom. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck as I led him up the stairs. He laid me on the bed and licked a trail from my belly button up to my chest where he teased my flesh with his mouth. I rolled him over and immediately my hands felt for the fly of his jeans. As I undid the button and zipper and began removing the article from his body he stopped me. "Wait," He said, "Mandy, I don't want you to do this because I'm here and Adam isn't. This can't be because he hurt you. This has to be about you and me." I looked at him shocked. I hadn't thought about Adam since before we entered the club. This hadn't been about him at all.  
  
"This is about us." I stated  
  
"I need to hear you say you love me." His face was so serious. I crawled up to meet his gaze. He was so beautiful. His hands ran over my skin so softly as my face became closer to his.   
  
"I love you," I exclaimed as my mouth met his once again.   
  
A/N- Thanks for the reviews...be sure to keep em coming! By the way, in case you haven't already, check out The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows seeing as this is its sequel. Hope everyone is enjoying. 


	32. Treating Me Like I'm Already Gone

Chapter 32  
  
Chris's POV  
  
Again she attempted to peel my jeans from my body, this time being met with success. My socks were next to go and soon her fingers were slipping under the waistband of my boxers. I gasped when she touched me and was grateful when she removed the fabric cage containing my erection. She ran her fingers up and down my length several times before I felt the warmth of her tongue swirling over it. I let out a moan as I became even harder and uncontrollably thrusted my hips upward to be deeper in her mouth. Before long I had to stop her as I felt myself being pushed closer to the edge. I wanted to be deep inside her when that happened. I sat up and unclasped her bra throwing it limply to the floor. I ran my fingers over the soft swells of her breasts and tasted her flesh as she moaned at the sensation. As I longed to taste all of her, I unzipped her jeans and slid them down her beautiful long legs. I removed her underwear and gently nudged her legs apart.   
  
"Chris," She cried as my fingers explored her cavity with ease. She was already wet and I could tell she was aching for me to be inside of her. I was aching too. She quivered as my tongue touched her most private parts. It didn't take long before her body was shaking from orgasmic pleasure and I held onto her hips to help her regain control. I felt like I couldn't take it any longer. I crawled back up so that we were face to face and looked into her eyes. She ran her hands down my cheeks, down my shoulders and across my back. I kissed her wildly but broke away just before thrusting into her. She yelled out in pleasure as I filled her to maximum capacity and I couldn't stifle my own cries of ecstasy as I felt her tightness. I thrusted in and out several times, welcoming her heat. Finally she hit her climax again and I felt her tighten around me. She called out my name as I felt her walls spasm in turn sending me over the edge. I collapsed on top of her in a sticky, sweaty mess. She ran her fingers through my hair as we both tried to regain control of our breathing. We slipped under the cool sheets and I held her in the silence as I listened to her breathe.   
  
"Talk to me," I stated finally as I kissed her forehead.   
  
"And what can I say other than you are absolutely amazing?" She responded. I smiled at her words.   
  
"I love you, Mandy!"  
  
She rolled so that her back was toward me and I wrapped my arm around her so that I was pressed up tightly against her. I kissed her shoulder and neck and I knew that sleep would soon claim her. We lay silent for a long while and I could feel myself begin to slip into a dreamlike state. The silence was broken, however, when I heard the sweet sound of her voice once more. "Will you be here when I wake up?" She asked. I pulled her closer and kissed her again.   
  
"Of course I will," I stated and drifted off into a peaceful slumber. When I woke up the next morning, I rolled over to find that I was alone in the bed. As I began to remember the events that had taken place the night before, my brain began to panic a bit. Did she leave me here? Had she gone onto the next show, or even worse, gone back to Adam? I rose from the bed and pulled my boxers back on. Walking into the bathroom, I could feel that the air was still moist from her shower. She couldn't be too far. I made my way down the stairs to find her in an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. Her hair was still wet and she was sitting on the couch sipping a cup of coffee. "Couldn't wait for me to shower with you, could you?" I teased as I lay on the couch on my back with my head resting on her lap. She smiled and ran her fingers through my hair. "I told you I'd be here," I whispered taking her hand in mine and kissing it gently.   
  
"I believed you," She announced.   
  
"I should jump in the shower and get clean," I stated. Before I had a chance to get up, she bent down placing her lips onto mine. Her hair cascaded all around my face like a waterfall. "What was that for?"  
  
"That was for everything," She explained. I smiled at her warmly before heading toward the bathroom.  
  
A/N- Okay, here is the deal...I have gotten an overwhelming number of responses from you guys mostly telling me that you think Mandy should end up with Adam and not Chris, so I'm now taking a poll. The ending of the story is coming fast, so the more responses I get to this, the faster I can decide what to do and post the very long awaited ending to my second story. Okay...so please answer this question for me: Who should Mandy end up with? Adam, Chris or neither and why. Thanks guys. Hope to hear from ya. 


	33. Sharp Disaster In A Fresh New Coma

A/N-Screw it, I'm just gonna go with my heart on this whole ending thing. Besides, I might have a trilogy in the works.  
  
Chapter 33  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I sat alone on the couch and almost started to cry. I wanted nothing more than for Adam to be sitting next to me and for him to hold me in his arms, but I knew I had ruined the chances of that happening. Why oh why had I told Chris that I loved him? Why did I have to bring back all of those feelings? I suppose part of me had to know what could have been. What it would have been like, had Chris not have left that day. When I woke up and Chris was next to me, I felt as if I was going to be sick. It didn't feel right. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at my front door. When I opened it, Adam stood with Jay and Trish close behind him. I resisted my initial urge to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him and instead move out of the way and allow them to enter my house.  
  
"We need to talk," He stated as we all sat down around my kitchen table.  
  
"I thought that was apparent," I replied. He rubbed his face with his hand.  
  
"Mandy, don't make this more difficult than it has to be. I just want to work things out between us because I realize now what a huge mistake I have made and I love you too much to let you go now," He exclaimed. I inhaled and closed my eyes for a minute trying to hold back tears. "Jay told me about the miscarriage." He stated as his voice cracked a bit. I knew he was hurt that I hadn't said anything to him about it. I sighed and turned away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Adam, I had to deal with it myself before I could tell anyone. Chris only knew because he was the only one that was there. He helped me more than you will ever know."  
  
"I could have helped you, but you never told me about it. We could have helped each other. Instead you acted as if you were pushing me away. I didn't know what to think. I talked to Jay and he said you were being distant with him as well. When I came to visit you, I thought you and Chris were being extremely friendly, but later Jay told me that you hated each other. When he started saying that you were getting closer to Chris, I felt as if I was losing you to him. Then when Alanah showed up at my door claiming to have nowhere to go, I just lost my inhibitions. God Mandy, I slept with her..." his voice trailed off. He turned away from me in shame. "I was so sure you were sleeping with Jericho and she was there and I was hurt. I wanted to hurt you back. I kicked her out right afterward. She wasn't you and I didn't want her there. Then he shows up at my door and starts punching me. He started telling me things I didn't want to hear. He told me about the night you spent together. I couldn't take it. I kept seeing him kissing you and touching you the way I want to and I felt like I wanted to kill him. And then I find out how you are treating Jay and Trish and I have to wonder what has happened to you, but after talking to Jay nearly all night I realize what has happened. You are hurting and it kills me to know that you didn't want me to help you. I don't know if you can ever forgive me for the things that I did, but I want you back more than anything in the world."  
  
Somewhere in the middle of his speech, I started crying. I couldn't help it; I was going to have to tell him about what had happened the night before. "Adam, I slept with Chris last night," I announced. He gasped so quietly that it was almost unnoticeable and I realized that his worst fear must have been coming true. He took my hand in his and squeezed gently. Trish and Jay looked on in shock.   
  
"I guess we're even now," He responded, still not looking me in the eye. "Even so, I still love you. Do you still love me?" He asked finally looking up at me, waiting for my answer.   
  
I didn't know how to answer him. The night before I had slept with another man. I had told Chris that it wasn't about Adam and I guess in some sick way it wasn't. It was about me trying to see what being with Chris would have been like. But at the same time, everything was about Adam. Everything was always going to be about Adam. He and Danny were my life. They were what I lived and breathed for. "Adam, I never stopped loving you, but you have to understand that I loved Chris three years ago and he is always going to have a part of me that does." I could see in his eyes that he was totally crushed by my words. 


	34. It Gets So Cold Here

Chapter 34  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
"How can you say that you love me and then turn around and say you love him?"  
  
Silently I leaned forward taking Adam in my arms without thinking. He buried his face into my hair for a moment before turning to kiss me. I thought about the night before and everything I had said and done. I had pushed Adam far out of my mind and allowed myself to block out the pain by allowing Chris a chance at my heart. I had told Chris that it wasn't about Adam, but one will say anything in the heat of the moment. I hadn't completely lied to him though. I said I loved him and I meant it. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks as Adam pressed his lips to mine. I didn't know if I was crying because I was happy that he still loved me, if I was upset because I had hurt him or just angry because he had hurt me. Before I got a chance to answer Adam's question, Chris walked into the room. "Would someone like to tell me what's going on here?" he asked. I pulled away from Adam and returned to my seat at the table as if I was a child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I turned my attention back to Adam and the look on his face scared me. He looked back at me in disgust, obviously because I had allowed Chris to stay.   
  
"I am trying to undo the damage I have caused. You didn't think I was just going to let you have her did you?" Adam spat even though he was looking at me the whole time.   
  
"Adam please," I whispered and grabbed his hand. I didn't need this; I didn't need a fistfight to start in my house. Chris sat down at the table too and assessed the situation. I felt so bad for him considering he had just walked in on Adam and I kissing only to be yelled at by Adam seconds later.   
  
"Why are you even still here? You've had your fun. You've ruined our friendship, fucked my girlfriend and tried to take her away from me. What's next Chris? Are you going to try to take Danny away from me too? Are you gonna go to the police - tell them I'm an unfit father, that I had a substance abuse problem and shouldn't be raising a child. Don't you understand that she is half of everything I have in this world? I have Mandy and Danny and that's it. They are all that matter to me anymore. Why would you take that away from me?" Adam yelled from across the table.   
  
"You don't appreciate it," Chris replied almost too soft to hear. Adam stood from his seat. I thought he was going to leap right across the table and kill Chris. His eyes were filled with such hate, I wouldn't have been surprised if he did.  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT TO ME," He cried, pointing a cold finger at Chris. "Don't you dare. I admit, there was a time when I didn't even know if there was a god, but now I thank him everyday for giving me a life again. You have no idea how far I've come Chris, no idea at all. I could have died. I could have lost Danny and could have been left with nothing. Alanah left, she wasn't coming back, I would have had nothing. She is why I have what I have. She saved me from myself. How can you tell me I don't appreciate that?" Adam was crying now. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued his defense. "I love her, Chris, in a way you never will."  
  
"FUCK YOU," Chris spat also jumping up from his seat. "I do love her. Make no mistake about it. Every time I look at her I am reminded of what an idiot I was when I had her the first time and now that I have her back I'm not losing her again."  
  
"YOU COULD NEVER LOVE HER HOW I DO," Adam screamed back.  
  
"BOTH OF YOU STOP IT," I yelled over top of their pointless fighting. "I can't take this anymore. I just can't do it. If I remember correctly you both pushed me away. This isn't even about me anymore, it's a contest between you two to see who gets the girl. Well I refuse to participate. I don't want either of you to say another word to each other. It's done. Adam, I can't believe you would be this immature. Do you want me to say what you want to hear? Fine, I'll say it...Chris, I lied to you..." 


	35. Don't Complicate It By Hesitating

Chapter 35  
  
Chris's POV  
  
When I entered the kitchen to find Mandy in the arms of Adam, I felt as if my worst fears had come true. Just when I thought I had won her back, I could almost feel her slipping away again. Jay and Trish looked at me as if I had murdered someone but Adam's gaze looked almost emotionless. "Chris, I lied to you..." Mandy began and immediately my heart sank. "Last night when I told you it wasn't about Adam, it was. I was trying to rid myself from the pain I felt."  
  
"Were you lying when you said you loved me?" I asked. Nothing else really mattered at that point. She grabbed my hand.  
  
"No Chris, I was telling you the truth." She responded.   
  
"I don't think I am quite understanding this," Jay started. "You love Adam but you also love Chris?" He questioned staring at Mandy. She shook her head.  
  
"Yeah, basically but it's hard to explain, She replied.  
  
"It just doesn't make any sense. You know you can't have both of them," he snapped interrupting her.   
  
"Calm down, Jay. This isn't your place to comment," Trish defended.  
  
"NO I WILL NOT CALM DOWN. Two of my best friends are fighting over a girl that they both love and she claims to love both of them back. All I want to know is how come JAY gets no love? Huh? What, do I have the plague or something? Do I have some kind of disfigurement that no one has ever told me about?" The expression on his face was so serious, but I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just trying to break the tension.   
  
"What I think Jason is trying to say is you are going to have to choose one of them," Trish interpreted even though I don't think that is what Jay was trying to say at all.   
  
"Before you say anything, Mandy, I really need to do something," Adam started. "We have been through so much together in the past few months and it wasn't all fun and games. I know that relationships take work and I am more than willing to work at ours. I have seen how great we can be together and I want it to be that way again. You make me so happy despite all of the shit we have gone through and I'm not willing to give up on you yet so please don't give up on me." He held her hand and gently kissed and caressed it. "I'm going back to Tampa today. First I'm going to go back to the hotel and get Danny from Torrie and then we're going home. I bought you a ticket," He said fumbling with his pocket. Finally he produced a ticket from his pocket and placed it on the table as if to prove that he had actually bought it. "Please come with us, please come home." She looked at the ticket and frowned.  
  
"Does it even matter anymore, whether I stay or go? How can things ever be the same...with either of you?" She asked before getting up from the table and leaving the room. For a while, no one said a word. Adam finally stood up and turned to Trish and Jay.  
  
"Can one of you please let her know that I love her and that the flight leaves at two if she still loves me at all?" Adam questioned.   
  
"This is just ridiculous. I have to go take care of her. You are both pathetic. It's like you don't even care about her, you only care about yourselves," Trish hissed as she got up from the table and ran back the hall to find Mandy. Adam sighed and gave me one final look before heading out the door to pick up his things and his daughter. Jay followed him and I was left sitting alone at the table. 


	36. I Never Said, 'Don't Go'

Chapter 36  
  
Mandy's POV  
  
I heard the light tapping on my door as I buried my face into my pillow. I didn't want to talk to them. I wanted them all to go away. "Mandy, it's Trish, can I come in?" I lifted my head and wiped the tears from my face. I got up and opened the door for her. She walked into my room as I collapsed back onto the bed. "Honey, both of those boys really care about you, they do. I know it may look like its just some kind of stupid contest or something, but it's just that they both really want to be with you," Trish stated as she stroked my hair.   
  
"How can I just choose one of them? I can't choose Chris because it's just not right. I woke up this morning and I could feel it. I was disappointed. I saw his face and immediately my heart sank and I wanted it to be Adam. But how can I choose Adam knowing things will never be the same between us again?"  
  
"How do you know that? Why can't they be the same?" Trish asked.   
  
"Trish, he slept with Alanah and I slept with Chris. We cheated on each other, how can they be the same? It is always going to be there like some kind of dark cloud," I tried to explain.   
  
"But you love Adam. And lord knows Adam loves you. I've known him for quite a long time and I can honestly say that he has never openly cried over a girl before," She laughed a bit. "Think of how happy you were when you were with him, and Danny. I remember you and I staying up all night talking about them and how great your life was now that it had them in it. Don't you remember that - those feelings?"  
  
"I remember them, and I'd give anything to have them back again, but I just don't see how it can ever be that way again. I feel like its over, we have both ruined it."  
  
"You will never known unless you try. You are both hurting right now. He knows what he has done is wrong. You know what you have done is wrong. I'm sure the fact that both of you have hurt each other can lesson the guilt you feel. You can work through it. He is willing to work through it. You can't just push him out of your life, Mandy. For god's sake you could have had his child," Trish announced which struck a nerve. She was right. We could have had a baby together. That was how we got started in this whole mess to begin with.   
  
"I almost forgot in the middle of it all. Great thanks Trish. Now I feel even guiltier. I forgot about my own..." I couldn't finish the sentence. I didn't have a child.   
  
"Adam left the plane ticket on the table and told me to tell you that the flight leaves at two and that he loves you. He says if you love him too, you'll come home. He and Jay went back to the hotel for Danny. Chris is still here somewhere. I'm not trying to tell you what to do or who to be with, but I do think you should at least talk to Chris. It's the least you can do while he is still here," Trish stated.   
  
"Okay, I'm going to go talk to him. Will you stay in here? I need to do this alone."  
  
"Of course baby. Just do what ya gotta do. I'll be right here," She assured me. I smiled and walked out to the kitchen where Chris was still sitting. I sat down next to him and he looked at me silently before pulling me into a quite unexpected hug.   
  
"Mandy, don't get me wrong here, I do love you, but I need you to know this. Whatever you decide to do, I will always be here. I will always be your friend. I don't want that to change," he explained. I hugged him back and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry for all of the trouble I have caused. I never meant to hurt you in the ways that I did. Things just really got out of hand. There is nothing I want more than to be with you but I want you to be happy."  
  
"So what do you think I should do?" I asked believing that he would give me his honest opinion. He hesitated and sighed heavily.   
  
"As much as I hate to say it, I know that you belong with Adam. Let me drive you to the airport."  
  
A/N- Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming, the story is almost over. 


	37. Because I Believe

Chapter 37

Mandy's POV

I looked at the clock. We had been on the road for about an hour and I was getting nervous as to whether or not I would make the flight at all. We had left the house at around 11:30 and I knew it would take at least three hours to get to the airport in Philly. That would mean I would be about a half hour late. We sped down the highway as to make up some time. At the rate Chris was driving, there was a chance of making it. I was actually surprised that he was putting as much effort into getting Adam and I back together as he was. It was a good thing that Trish had packed a bag for me of essentials while I was talking to Chris at the house. I guess everyone knew where I was supposed to be.

"God, I hope we make it on time," I stated out loud as I watched the scenery pass from the window. My attention was distracted when I felt a hand on my leg.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get you there," Chris assured me. I smiled and took his hand with mine. Trish cleared her throat and I looked back to see that she was not pleased that I was holding his hand, but the general feeling in the car was that things were going to start getting better. I trusted Chris. He understood that my heart didn't belong to him. Time seemed to pass too quickly and before I knew it, it was 1:30 and we were still a good distance away.

"Why don't you try calling him again. Just so that he knows you are coming and didn't blow him off," Trish suggested. I dialed his cellphone again but it just gave me a busy signal.

"I'm telling you, he's got it turned off," I stated. I was really starting to doubt the fact that we would make it on time. We got to the airport with fifteen minutes until scheduled take off time. I rushed to the gate and through the security check with Trish close behind. We left Chris in the car because we didn't have time to park.

"I'm sorry miss, but if you don't have a ticket you can't go any farther," One security guard explained to Trish. I looked back at her and she just motioned for me to keep going, so I started running toward my gate. I got to the check in desk and felt as if my heart had stopped. The gate we empty, I was too late.

"Can I help you?" Asked a very overly happy flight attendant. I shook my head.

"I don't think so, it looks like I missed my flight," I stated.

"Yes, I'm sorry, the Tampa flight took off about five minutes ago. Can I book you another flight?" She asked. I shook my head no and took out my cellphone to call Trish in hopes that she hadn't left yet. It was then that I heard my name being called from across the room. Quickly, I turned around expecting to see Trish. I held back tears.

"Oh my god, it is you! See Rob, I told you it was her. Mandy, we are your biggest fans. I'm Nancy and this is my son Rob," I looked down to see a boy around the same age as Danny holding his mother's hand. "I don't mean to bother you, but Rob was heartbroken that when your autograph signing was cancelled a while back when you were out with your knee injury. Could we just get a quick picture and an autograph?" I was stunned. The lady before me was very excited so I couldn't say no.

"Of course. Hi, Rob." I stated as I smiled at the little boy who was now clinging to his mother's leg. He smiled bashfully up at me and it felt good to know that I had just made his day. The flight attendant took our picture and I made small talk while I signed a napkin that Nancy had pulled out of her purse. "So where are you guys flying to today?"

"We're going home to Indiana. I miss my friends," Rob explained, "Where are you going?" He asked with interest.

"Well, I was going home to be with my friends too, but it looks like I missed my flight so they are going to be pretty mad at me"

"Oh, missed your flight. That's terrible! I hope it wasn't because of us..." Nancy started but I interrupted.

"Not at all," I assured her. "I'm just having a very bad day, but thank you two for making it a little better. And I mean that!" Nancy smiled and took Rob's hand.

"Well we better be going before we miss our flight ourselves. Say thank you to Mandy, Rob," Nancy insisted.

"Thank you, Mandy. I hope your friends aren't mad at you," Rob replied.

"I hope they aren't either. We'll just have to wait and see," I stated.

"If they are, I will be your friend," Rob offered. I smiled.

"Thank you sweetie, you guys take care," I waved as they began to head in the direction of their terminal. I grabbed my bag and started heading toward the exit.

"Mandy," I heard from somewhere at another gate. Figuring it was another fan, I turned with pen in hand ready to sign whatever they were going to push into my face.

Surprisingly, it wasn't a fan at all. Danny ran toward me with her arms wide open. I scooped her up into my arms and kissed her about a million times. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see her. Adam slowly walked up behind her.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked as I put Danny down and a tear ran down my cheek.

"Danny and I agreed that it didn't feel right to leave without you. I guess I could just tell that you were coming," He stated. "Or maybe it was just the last part of Jay's story. He finally finished it"

"Oh really? So tell me does Alex ever get the girl?" I asked. Adam wiped the tears from my cheeks and pulled me into his arms.

"You tell me," he stated.

"I wouldn't know, but I do know that you do."

He smiled down at me and ran his fingers through my hair. I stared into his eyes and saw everything. I saw the first time I talked to him, on the night Danny had gotten lost. I saw our first kiss. I saw the first time we had made love. I saw just about everything that had ever mattered there in his eyes.

"Daddy," Danny chimed in.

"Yeah baby?" He asked redirecting his attention down at her.

"I think this is the part where you kiss her," She insisted. Adam looked back at me and we both laughed.

"I think you are right," Adam stated and then pressed his lips to mine. I knew then that everything was going to be okay, it just felt right.  
-  
A story speaks of people and places. It tells of human emotion at its most raw and intimate state. While chapters may finally reach conclusions of their own, only in death can a story come to a full close. Mandy closed a chapter of her life on that day. Whether she wanted to or not, she took fate in her hand and wove it directly into her own story, changing the events of her existence. Year after year she had waited for her one true thing, her reason for being, her captivating light. By choosing Adam, she finally got her fairytale ending, it just took her a while to get there. As for Adam's question, "Does he ever get the girl?" The answer is clear. Yes, he does. It just depends on how she wants her story to end.

THE END.

A/N- I know its been like....forever...but I didn't wanna leave you guys hanging forever. I felt like I was letting everyone down...so here it is. The final chapter. Let me know if you want a third installment or something completely new. I really wanna get back into the swing of things here.


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